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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451231">Feeding Stray Cats</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DashingHeights/pseuds/DashingHeights'>DashingHeights</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien truly lives a double life, Chat is a cat, Extra fluff, F/M, Fluff, Not canon compliant in the least, Rated T for language, Self-Indulgent, Summary has changed, Tags May Change, akuma fights, can you tell who my favorite is, come on a journey with me, original akuma villains, this is my life right now</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:36:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DashingHeights/pseuds/DashingHeights</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette is certain there’s some wise-old quote about feeding stray cats she should heed at times like this. But with Chat Noir, she never could say no. Besides, this might be the best decision she’s made in all her years of living; her stress is minimal, her stuttering’s been cured, and she’s never felt more confident. With a lap cat scratching on her roof every night, the world seems a peaceful place. This couldn’t possibly backfire.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire &amp; Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, marichat - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Parisian Lights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So… this was supposed to be a one shot. But it’s kinda spiraling out of control… Loose Coda for s02e09: Glaciator. No real plot, just an alternative chain of events following the scene where Chat Noir visits Marinette on her balcony. After that, it completely diverts from canon. There’s some self-indulgent “Chat exhibits real cat behavior” stuff in here, and a fair bit of Marinette doting over a sweet summer kitten because I think he deserves all the pets. I cannot make any promises about updates, but I can tell you that this is consuming me and it only took me like three days to write as much as I have so far (which is this chapter and almost all of chapter 2).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette sighed heavily, looking out from her balcony with slumped shoulders. The Parisian lights were truly beautiful at night. Shame she didn’t have anyone to view them with. The days events ran back in her mind, making her cringe at her own incompetence. She knew it was her fault Adrien would never realize her feelings for him, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. A soft thud behind her made her reach for a yo-yo that wasn’t there, but even though she heard the intruder, she was still surprised to a hear a soft, subdued, “Hello there.” She nearly jumped out of her skin, whirling on her toes and falling against the balcony with a small ‘eep!’. She blinked at the cat hero perched on her railing, “Oh. Chat Noir. What are you doing here?”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” His shoulders slumped, “I just, uh.. noticed we both seem to be a little down and I-I don’t really want to be alone right now.. Is it okay if I hang out here for a bit?” Marinette had never seen him look like this; so crestfallen, so… emotional. She nodded on instinct, her good nature not allowing herself to turn him away. Besides, it wasn’t like she wanted to be alone right now, either. He moved beside her, staring out at the same view she had been just moments ago with an expression that perfectly mirrored what she was feeling inside. Her subconscious told her that Ladybug did that; <em>she</em> did that.</p><p>Without thinking, she asked, “Trouble in the love department, huh?” He glanced at her in surprise, brow furrowed, “How did-“</p><p>“Takes one to know one,” She quickly covered her mistake, although that wasn’t entirely a lie. Chat blinked, his own woe momentarily forgotten, “You got your heartbroken, too?” Marinette gave him a noncommittal shrug with her half-assed answer, “I don’t know if you can call it heartbreak, considering he doesn’t even know he has my heart.” His green eyes were empathetic, and she wished she hadn’t looked at them. She had to turn her head away to keep from tearing up. “I’m not sure which is worse,” Chat sighed dejectedly, voice soft, “being turned down inadvertently or directly…”</p><p>Marinette refused to look at him, though she wanted to. She swallowed thickly, trying to make light of the situation with, “Who in their right mind would turn down Paris’ own super cat?” She shouldn’t have looked. She shouldn’t have met his watery gaze. She shouldn’t have opened her stupid mouth. Chat Noir gave a wheezing sigh and slipped off the railing to sit on the floor of the balcony, his ears flattened sadly against his head. She could tell it was a struggle for him to say, “Paris’ own super bug…” A very tiny, very Ladybug part of her wanted to scold him for sharing such deep, personal issues with a civilian while he was in costume, but the entirety of her Marinette side was scolding herself for being such a walking disaster. She couldn’t even console her own friend!</p><p>Not that he knew they were friends.</p><p>She sat down next to him, hesitating because she didn’t know what to do now. Her heart ached for herself and him and she didn’t know how to fix it. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath and abandoned all her common sense as she leaned her head on Chat’s shoulder. He didn’t protest. In fact, he rested his head atop hers with a very similar sentiment. In her detached state, Marinette had no reservations anymore. She didn’t care who he was or who she was or who Ladybug and Adrien were. This whole night was leaving a very sour taste in her mouth. “This blows,” She mumbled through a frown. She didn’t expect the tiny chuckle she got in return for her honesty, or for that chuckle to morph into full on laughter.</p><p>Marinette raised her head to watch Chat wipe at his eyes, sniffling between breaths. He nodded his head as he tried to calm his giggling, “Yeah, it does. It so blows.” A smile slowly spread over Marinette’s face, her chest feeling a little lighter at the fact that she made him laugh. They sat looking at each other for a few minutes. At some point, Marinette felt her cheeks heat up, which- <em>what</em>? Hello, this was Chat Noir, not Adrien. Something about the way he was looking at her just felt so familiar. Not familiar in the Ladybug way, but familiar in the ‘I’m pretty sure I’ve looked at one person like that for months now’ way. He seemed to be contemplating something, cat eyes shifting between hers with tiny movements of his brow and lips.</p><p><em>Stop looking at his lips, wow, that is not okay</em>.</p><p>“Um,” She was thankfully ripped from her internal dilemma by his hesitant voice, “Are you... Actually, never mind. Sorry.” He got to his feet, taking a deep breath and wiping his face one last time, for good measure. “Yes,” She blurted, popping to her feet beside him, “o-or no.. wait, what was the question?” They both chuckled nervously. Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze, “I was just thinking, maybe we could hang out again some time. You’re a sweet girl, Marinette, and it would be nice to have someone to talk to that doesn’t actually know any information to judge me for.”</p><p>Marinette blinked at him. It was true, she knew very little about him, even as Ladybug. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had a voice telling her this was a bad idea. But Ladybug already turned him away so many times, she just couldn’t bear to do it as Marinette. Besides, he was just asking for a friend. She didn’t mind that. “You know what?” She smiled widely, “Yeah. Yeah, I would like that.”</p><p>“Really?” The hope in his eyes tugged at her heart strings, “thanks, Marinette. Um, so I’ll see you later?” She nodded her affirmation, meeting his grin with one of her own. As he vaulted away, she briefly wondered what she was getting herself into, but in the moment, she didn’t have the energy to care.</p>
<hr/><p>The energy came to her mid lunch break the very next day. She and Alya were in the library pouring over some dumb Shakespearean sonnet for their English Lit class. Marinette’s leg was bouncing restlessly, her writing almost frantic as she filled out the worksheet they’d been assigned. It wasn’t due until tomorrow, but she was an overachiever that way. She didn’t notice Alya staring at her until her best friend reached over and stopped her jittery leg. Marinette almost jumped out of her skin at the unexpected touch, her yelp drawing almost every eye in the library. She blushed and waved apologetically. “Are you okay, Mari?” Alya asked, “you’ve been antsy since lunch started. What’s on your mind?”</p><p><em>Chat Noir</em>, her brain supplied, but she caught herself before she could say that because that would give Alya the absolutely wrong impression. She sighed and pushed her work aside, tapping her fingers together, “Well.. I, uh, may have agreed to be friends with Chat Noir last night and I don’t know if it was the best decision I’ve ever made.” Her very patient, very intuitive friend blinked slower than Marinette had ever seen. The blogger put her hands on her hips, fully turning to face her with a raised eyebrow, “You wanna run that by me again? With context, please.” The bluenette bit her lip, avoiding direct eye contact as she explained, “I was on my balcony last night, and Chat Noir showed up asking if he could hang out for a bit because he needed company, I guess? We, uh.. we talked a little.. and then he asked if we could hang out again some time.. and I said yes?”</p><p>Alya stared at her for what felt like centuries. Only when Marinette was considering continuing her work did her bestie say, “And you think that might have been a <em>bad </em>decision?” Her voice was disbelieving. Well, of course Alya would think it was a good thing, what with the reporter in her. If Chat had asked Alya, she wouldn’t have hesitated because she’d have thought she’d be getting some real juicy, insiders scoop of… something. Marinette, however, knew that wasn’t the case. And she wouldn’t do that to him even if it was. The last thing Chat needed right now was for his personal feelings to be plastered all over the Ladyblog.</p><p>The bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Marinette quickly packed up her schoolwork in an attempt to avoid the conversation she started. But Alya wasn’t letting it go that easily. They walked back to the classroom and took their usual seats, Alya behind Nino and Marinette behind Adrien. Normally, she would be distracted by his gorgeous hair and the shape of his shoulders, but right now she had other things on her mind. Alya noticed, “Girl, you are not okay. Does Chat Noir being your friend really bother you that much?”</p><p>“Woah, what?” Nino turned to look at them, Adrien mirroring his surprised expression. Marinette slammed her head down on her desk, hissing through her teeth, “Alya…” The redhead shrugged apologetically. “You’re friends with Chat Noir?” Adrien asked her. Marinette had to avoid looking at him to answer, “um, s-sort of.. I mean, not really. Maybe? I-I don’t know anymore.” He had an unreadable expression on his face. “Well, does he suck, or what?” Nino untactfully questioned, causing Adrien to internally wince, “why does being his friend bother you?”</p><p>Marinette shook her head rapidly, clutching her books to her chest, “It doesn’t <em>bother</em> me. That’s not the word I would use. I’m just.. I don’t know, worried? We’ve only talked a handful of times, and-“</p><p>“<em>I’ve</em> spoken to Chat Noir <em>many </em>times, and I can confirm that he’s super annoying,” Chloe’s voice grated across Marinette’s eardrums. She took a deep breath through her nose to compose herself. “No,” She corrected, “I don’t think he’s annoying. I think he’s.. odd. Maybe not so experienced in the friend department. But not annoying.” Chloe rolled her eyes dramatically, holding her hand in that signature spoiled-brat gesture, “How would you know? You just said yourself, you haven’t talked to him much.” Alya chimed in, “Didn’t take much talking to you to figure out you were a stuck up-“</p><p>“Ladies, ladies, you’re all lovely,” Nino cut in, trying to diffuse the situation before it escalated any further. But Chloe just didn’t know when to let things go. She snorted, folding her arms and saying just barely loud enough for them to hear, “Well, obviously Ladybug agrees, the amount of times she’s told him to shut up.”</p><p>Adrien’s physical wince was easily explained away by Marinette’s books slamming the table. She was on her feet, pointing a threatening finger at Chloe Bourgeois. Adrien could’ve sworn he saw steam coming out of her ears. “I don’t care what you or you <em>think</em> Ladybug thinks of Chat Noir,” Her voice was icy, “he is not annoying. He’s charming and a very essential part of their team.” Chloe was only phased for a second, quickly regaining her previous sneer, “Careful, Dupain-Cheng. Your crush is showing.”</p><p>Eyes. All Marinette felt were eyes. The color drained from her face as she fell heavily back in her seat, mouth working like a dead fish to form a rebuttal. “I-I don’t have a-“ The bell to start class rang above her denial. Everyone else dismissed the exchange to retrieve their supplies for the day. Everyone except Adrien, Nino, and Alya, who were still staring at her. She shot them all a death glare, “I don’t!” Nino and Adrien quickly turned away, but Alya was still regarding her skeptically. “Whatever you say, girl,” Her friend patted her shoulder. This was not how today was supposed to go.</p>
<hr/><p>Marinette was stressed for the rest of school. She barely spoke to anyone unless it was to answer academic questions, or to tell Alya she really didn’t feel like hanging out right now. She had a lot of stuff to think about. Was her reluctance to be friends with Chat Noir really based on a crush? That didn’t make any sense at all, there was no way she could’ve developed a crush from a single conversation. Then again, wasn’t that how her crush on Adrien started? And Chat had taken up more of her thoughts than Adrien did today, which was saying something.</p><p><em>No</em>! she shook her head, alone in her room with the buzzing of her sewing machine. Chloe was just trying to get to her, as she always did. Tikki was floating around humming to herself, the only anchor Marinette had to keep her from absolutely losing it. “Tikki,” Marinette drew the kwamis attention, “is it a bad thing that I told Chat we could be friends?”</p><p>“Why would that be a bad thing?” Tikki asked, confused. Her holder shrugged. Tikki sighed with a patient, gentle smile, “Marinette, I think it’s a good thing. He came to you for comfort and you gave it! He was only asking for more. You care about him, don’t you?” The bluenette stopped her sewing machine, turning in her chair and rubbing her temples, “Of course Ladybug cares about him. But Marinette? Isn’t that different?” Her kwami shrugged, “Sure, it’s a little different, but not in a bad way.”</p><p>“I guess I’m just worried about getting too personal with him,” Marinette sighed. There was a knock on her roof and she stiffened. <em>Already? He was just here last night</em>. She supposed it wouldn’t be too farfetched to imagine he was still upset. After all, it had only been one day. She was used to feeling sad about Adrien not liking her, but who knew how well Chat could handle rejection. Marinette stood from her chair, grabbing a blanket and pushing the trapdoor open. Chat was seated on the lounger, legs crossed with a small box in his lap. He was facing the sky, eyes closed and ears twitching with every little sound the Parisian night brought. He almost looked peaceful, except for the crease in his brow and the frown on his lips.</p><p>Marinette wrapped the blanket around herself and let the trapdoor close, approaching him slowly. She knew he heard her exit, so wasn’t worried about startling as she sat down on the lounger in front of him. “Hey, Chat,” She greeted quietly. He lowered his head, green eyes blinking open at her with a soft smile, “Hey, Marinette.” He seemed a little tense, shifting in his seat and clutching the box tighter. She bit her lip, “You doing okay?” He rolled his tongue around his mouth, shrugging and looking down at his lap. Marinette frowned, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself.</p><p>“I brought you something,” Chat carefully set the box down in front of her, then folded his hands in his lap. She blinked, registering how hesitant he seemed. Looking down at the box, Marinette pulled it closer and flipped open the lid. Inside were several folded fabrics, just a few yards of each, of superb quality like she’d never be able to afford in her lifetime. Her eyes bugged, glancing between him and the open box as she struggled to find the words to express her excitement and gratitude, “O-Oh.. Chat, I.. oh my god, these are..” She cleared her throat, closing the box and setting it carefully on the ground beside her foot. “Thank you,” She mumbled, wondering what she possibly could have done to deserve a gift so thoughtful and extravagant.</p><p>Chat swallowed thickly, looking up at her with his head still bowed, “You look tired.” Marinette sighed, shaking her head, “I had a stressful day at school, that’s all.” He nodded sympathetically, “Yeah.. me too..” It wasn’t super great to hear Chloe talk about how annoying he was, or that she believed Ladybug also thought he was annoying. It wasn’t super great to hear that Marinette didn’t know if she actually wanted to be his friend, despite her telling him so the night before. Maybe he shouldn’t be pouting about that, because she was already friends with Adrien, but Chat Noir felt so much more like the real him. What was he supposed to think about people not liking the real him?</p><p>A hand on his arm pulled him back to reality. Marinette was looking at him with so much sympathy and compassion, but the self-degrading voice in his head was telling him that was only because she was such a nice person. “It’s a little cold out here,” Marinette commented, “I was just working on a sewing project. Do you want to come in and hang out for a while?” <em>She’s just being polite,</em> he fought to keep his frown from deepening. He shook his head, “I wouldn’t want to impose.. I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. You don’t have to be that nice to me, if I’m bothering you-“</p><p>“You are not bothering me,” Her voice was stern and almost reprimanding. Chat sucked in a surprised breath as she stood and grabbed his wrist. “Come on, silly kitty,” Her tone left no room for argument. The cat hero followed her obediently, glancing around her room as she settled back in her desk chair. “That’s a lot of pictures,” He idly commented, tentatively sitting on her chaise lounge. Marinette followed his gaze to the wall of Adrien Agreste photos, coughing and forcing herself to stare at her sewing machine as she replied, “I like fashion.” Chat didn’t think much else of it, instead watching her craft the seams on what looked like a dress. When she focused, her eyebrows knit together and her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth. He found it endearing, suppressing a chuckling.</p><p>They sat in silence for a while, until Marinette paused for a drink of water and Chat’s stomach chose then to loudly announce that he hadn’t eaten much of his dinner. Marinette laughed as he smiled sheepishly, drawing his legs up to his chest. “Hold on,” She gestured for him to stay put, disappearing downstairs. Once again, Chat’s mind drifted to what happened at school that day. Maybe it was better he leave while she was gone. Then she wouldn’t have to feel guilty. Just as he was about to stand up, Marinette returned with a plate of macaroons. She set the plate on the chaise beside him, giving him a sweet smile, “Here. These were left over from today. My dad will just make new ones tomorrow, so there’s no point in saving them.”</p><p>Chat Noir stared at her, his lip quivering and eyes watering helplessly. Marinette panicked a little, unsure what she should do as he hung his head and pressed his palms against his eyes. His body shook with his withheld sobs. “O-Oh, please don’t cry,” She fidgeted in front of him, wracking her brain for something useful to do. “Come on, kitty, it’s okay,” Her hand reached for him, hesitated, then timidly pet through his blonde hair. It wasn’t unusual for Ladybug to pat him every once in a while, but nothing like this; nothing like Marinette rubbing her fingers down to his scalp and scratching behind his ear.</p><p>His shaking slowed to a stop, his sniffling petering out. His tail thumped the chaise lounge, head tilting into her ministrations. When her hand pulled back, he almost tried to follow it, blinking up at her with dazed, green eyes. Her giggle was reflexive. Chat blushed under his mask, clearing his throat and hunching his shoulders in embarrassment. “Sorry,” Marinette scuffed her foot on the carpet, “I should’ve asked first.”</p><p>“N-No, it’s okay,” He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing to the macaroon plate, “um.. thanks..” She nodded and returned to her desk, leaving him to quietly munch the treats she’d brought him. Eventually, Marinette started to yawn. She rubbed her eyes and shook herself, but Chat could tell she was falling asleep where she sat. He gave a dramatic yawn himself, saying, “I’d better get going. It’s pretty late.” She blinked drowsily at him, nodding. “Thanks for letting me stay a while,” He smiled softly at her. The bluenette grinned back, turning off her sewing machine, “Thanks for keeping me company. And-“ yawn “for the fabric.” Chat nodded fervently, climbing up to the skylight. He spared a glance back at her before taking off over the rooftops.</p><p>Tikki floated with Marinette as she collapsed on her bed, the kwami pulling the covers up over her holder. “Good night, Marinette,” Tikki said through a yawn, curling on the pillow beside her. The bluenette only hummed in response.</p>
<hr/><p>Marinette drug her feet into the classroom, clutching her backpack and yawning obnoxiously. Alya raised an eyebrow as her bestie walked right past Adrien with little to no reaction. Not that Adrien was much better, chin rested on his hand as he slowly leaned further and further over. His head hit the desk just as Marinette’s foot caught on a stair, sending her sprawling on the floor with her books and pencils spilling out of her bag. Adrien jerked his head up, snorting and blinking with wide eyes. He looked to the bluenette in concern, getting up to help collect her things. “You okay?” He asked, handing her a notebook. She stared at him, mouth agape, “Uh, no! I mean- yes? I-I think so. Sorry!”</p><p>She scrambled to put her stuff back in her bag, face on fire. It only worsened when Adrien offered a hand to help her up, which she took after several seconds of staring at it like it was a wild animal that might bite her. The class was snickering. “Are you guys okay?” Nino asked as they took their seats. Marinette waved her hand dismissively, but it was accompanied by another yawn. Adrien mirrored her exhaustion, slouching in his seat with a mumbled excuse of, “Stayed up too late.” Nino and Alya exchanged skeptical frowns. “Maybe you need a break from all those sewing projects,” The redhead suggested, watching Marinette take way too long to search through her bag.</p><p>“Yeah, and you need a break from all these photoshoots your dad’s got you doing,” Nino nudged Adrien’s shoulder. The blonde shrugged, “Tell him that.” Tired as she was, Marinette recognized scheming when she saw it, and the look their two friends shared was definitely schemey. She groaned, “Please leave me out of whatever you’re planning.”</p><p>“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Alya feigned ignorance, batting her eyelashes. “Whatever it is, take me with you,” Adrien opposed Marinette’s concern, “I’d let you kidnap me at this point.” Nino laughed, slapping him on the back, “Careful what you wish for, dude. Don’t give us any ideas.” Alya turned a knowing gaze to the girl beside her, “See, Marinette, Adrien wants in.”</p><p>“Right after my nap,” Adrien corrected her, laying his head on his arms and letting his green eyes fall shut. Marinette giggled sleepily, stretching her arms out over her desk and pressing her face against the cool wood, “Now <em>that</em> idea, I like.”</p><p>“No amount of sleep is gonna fix the hag bags under your eyes, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe inserted herself into the conversation yet again. Marinette groaned, pulling at the skin of her face. She really didn’t have the energy to deal with Chloe’s dumb insults today. Adrien mumbled something unintelligible under his tired breath, probably about ignoring her. Marinette put her backpack on top of her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Once again, Chloe couldn’t just let sleeping dogs (or teens, in this case) lie. “I bet you were up all night fawning over your dumb cat crush,” Chloe put her hands on her hips, looking smug as if she’d won something.</p><p>With all the strength she could currently muster, Marinette looked her right in the eye and said, “Queen Bee, there’s no need to be jealous just because I’m closer friends with a superhero than you are.” The whole room erupted in laughter, but none more enthusiastic than Adrien, who cackled into his folded arms. Chloe balked at her, sputtering for an answer when Miss Bustier walked in and tried to hush them all. The spoiled blonde just couldn’t stand not having the last word, whispering in Marinette’s direction, “Too bad for you he’s stupidly in love with Ladybug, not that she wants him.”</p><p>Marinette stood abruptly from her seat, hand in the air as she seethed through gritted teeth, “Miss Bustier, may I use the restroom, please?”</p>
<hr/><p>Marinette was sitting at a table in the school courtyard, head down and lunch untouched. “You okay, girl?” Alya’s voice raised her head. Her friends sat at the table around her, Adrien and Nino looking just as concerned as Alya sounded. “No,” Marinette admitted, gripping her plastic fork tightly in her fingers, “I’m annoyed. Why does she insist on bagging on Chat Noir like that? Aren’t they supposed to be a team or something when she’s Queen Bee?”</p><p>“Hun, this is Chloe we’re talking about,” Alya gently reminded her, glancing at the boys across from them. Adrien looked thoughtful, if not still tired. Nino piped up, “Weren’t you just saying yesterday you didn’t know if you liked Chat Noir?” Marinette shook her head rapidly, “That’s not what I said at all. I <em>do</em> like him, he’s a good person. I just wasn’t sure if being his friend was a good idea for like.. you know, safety purposes or something.” Alya smirked and poked her side, “Your safety or his?” Marinette swatted at her hand, glaring at her smug face and huffing. She was going to respond when Adrien cut in, “You said you <em>weren’t </em>sure. Past tense.” The bluenette blinked at them, pursing her lips. She shrugged, tapping her fingers together and thinking back to Chat’s sad, feline eyes; the hope and gratitude she saw under the heartache when she’d brought him those dumb macaroons.</p><p>“Maybe I decided it’s not such a bad idea,” Marinette defended, crossing her arms over her chest. Alya laughed, gripping her shoulder, “We should rope <em>him</em> into our mischief.” For some reason, that caused a flush to wash over Marinette’s face. She cleared her throat, stammering, “What? B-But we don’t even know who he really is.” Breaking into his lunch, Nino asked, “Do we need to?” Alya tsk’d and shook her head, “Who cares if he’s still in costume? Besides, who doesn’t like a man in leather?” She elbowed Marinette, who rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell out of her head. Adrien choked on the water he was sipping, Nino patting his back with a laugh.</p><p>“Do you have a phone number or an email or something?” Alya asked Marinette, ignoring Adrien’s wheezing fit. “Of course not,” The bluenette gave her an incredulous look, “Besides, is it really a good idea for him to just waltz around Paris? That’ll attract a lot of attention, you know.”</p><p>“No more than our model here attracts,” Nino helpfully supplied, gesturing to their blonde friend. Adrien blinked, giving a sheepish smile. “And we don’t have to walk around Paris to have a good time,” Alya reminded them, “We could gather at my or Marinette’s place. Watch movies or play games or something.” This whole conversation was very bizarre to Marinette, who couldn’t understand why her friends suddenly wanted her to invite one of Paris’ superheroes to their hangout sessions. It must have shown on her face, because Alya chuckled and explained, “Look, Mari, any friend of yours is a friend of ours. If he’s looking for friends, we’re open.” The sentiment was sweet, which the bluenette almost said, but then Alya had to go and add, “Plus, then you don’t have to sneak around to see each other.” Her eyebrows wiggled and Marinette groaned, hiding her face in her hands, “We do not sneak around.”</p><p>Nino rested his arms on the table as he asked, “How do you hang out, then? Do you have like a set time he visits?” Marinette shook her head, “He kinda just shows up on my balcony.”</p><p>“Does he scratch at your skylight?” Her redheaded bestie teased, making a scratching gesture in the air, “kitty comes home every night?” The bluenette buried her face in her hands again, “He’s not a pet, Alya.” She hated the hot tingle that went up her spine as Alya countered, “That wasn’t a no.” Why was she so affected by this teasing? She did not like Chat Noir that way.</p><p>Adrien had a blush on his face, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the ground. He cleared his throat, “Well, whatever you guys plan to do tonight, I don’t think I can make it. My dad’s been really hesitant about letting me out of the house lately. Like, even more so than usual.” Nino and Alya sighed, nodding. “Bummer, dude,” Nino frowned. “Guess we’ll just have to pressure Marinette and Chat Noir into hanging out with us,” Alya sighed dramatically, giving Marinette a wink. The seamstress put a hand to her forehead and shook her head in resignation.</p>
<hr/><p>There was a scratching on her roof. Marinette stared upwards in disbelief. There was no way that just happened. Chat Noir did not just scratch at her door. “It has to be like a branch blowing over the roof, right?” She said to Tikki, her voice almost desperate. He scratched again, louder this time. The red kwami giggled, shrugging. Marinette groaned and slowly ascended towards the skylight, popping her head into the night air with a huff. He was sitting on the side of the lounger holding something in one hand, the other reaching down to scratch at the wood of the balcony. When he saw her, he smiled, “Hey, Marinette.”</p><p>“Hi,” Marinette swallowed as she climbed the rest of the way out of her room, “you look like you’re in a better mood.” He nodded, the action genuine but subdued, “I feel a little better.” She smiled back, coming to stand in front of him with her hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were drawn to the plastic case in his hands, which he fiddled with for a moment before holding it out. “I brought this for you,” His voice was shy, gaze averted to not meet hers. She carefully took the case, turning it over in her hands and reading the label. “Sketch pencils?” She blinked in surprise, shooting him a glance. He simply nodded. “Well, thank you, Chat,” She held the case against her chest, “but you know you don’t have to bring me gifts every time you visit, right?”</p><p>He hunched his shoulders, ears drooping as he shrugged, “I know I don’t.” Marinette shook her head, amused and thankful. She hadn’t changed out of her day clothes yet, and so was better equipped to deal with the night air. She sat beside him, looking out at the city lights much the same as they had that first night. “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” She hummed without looking at him. There was an amicable silence between them, in which Marinette debated inviting him inside again. Then she heard her name float up from the ground below and her back stiffened. “Who’s that?” Chat furrowed his brow. “Oh no,” Marinette groaned, getting up to peak over the railing.</p><p>Sure enough, Alya and Nino were standing in front of the bakery door grinning up at her. “I had a feeling you’d be out here!” Alya cupped her hands around her mouth so she didn’t have to shout as loud. Marinette blushed, “I-I was just doing some sketching, Alya! What are you guys doing here?”</p><p>“We told you we were going to pressure you into hanging out with us!” Nino laughed, hooking his arm with Alya’s. The redhead wiggled her eyebrows and added, “You and that handsome hero of yours!” Marinette whirled around and pressed her back to the railing, staring at Chat Noir with a panicked grimace. He tipped his head, cocking an eyebrow, “You told your friends about me?” Marinette opened and closed her mouth like a dying fish, gripping the pencil case tighter, “N-No! I mean, well.. yes, but-! N-Not like <em>that</em>, they came up with that all on their own!”</p><p>“Came up with what all on their own?” Chat blinked uncomprehendingly at her. She took a breath, trying to calm her heart rate, “I-I’m really sorry, Chat, I didn’t- didn’t mean to give you away. You came to me for help and I spoiled it. B-But I swear I didn’t tell them anything about your feelings.” The cat hero stood, approaching her in confusion, “Marinette, what are you talking about? I don’t care that you told your friends. If anything, I’m flattered you talk about me at all.” She peaked at him from under her eyelashes, hugging the pencil case to her chest, “Really? Y-You’re not mad?” Chat shook his head, “Not in the least.”</p><p>Alya’s voice reached them once more, “Hello! You shouldn’t ignore us, Marinette, don’t make me come up there and get you!” The bluenette leaned over the railing once more and shushed her noisy friend, “You’ll wake my parents! Just give me a second here.” Moving away from the edge of the balcony, Marinette chewed her nails in indecision. She paced back and forth in front of Chat Noir, who watched her patiently. After a bit, she sighed and turned to face him, “Would you.. want to hang out with my friends and I for a bit?” She fully expected him to make some excuse about how he’d better get home instead, but he didn’t miss a beat in nodding and agreeing, “Okay.”</p><p>Marinette gawked, snapping her jaw shut and blushing as she moved around him to drop the pencil case through the trapdoor and onto her bed. Then she turned to him and asked, “You’re sure? Alya can be a little nosy. She runs the Ladyblog and all.”</p><p>“I’m confident I can handle her questions,” Chat chuckled. Marinette breathed out through her nose, “Alright.”</p><p>Alya jumped as a metal staff hit the ground next to her, looking up to see Chat Noir with one foot off the balcony railing, holding his hand out to her best friend. Marinette hesitated, especially seeing Alya’s shit-eating grin, but she couldn’t bear the thought of hurting his feelings by denying such a simple gesture. They both knew it was platonic and that was all that mattered. She took his hand, climbing over the railing and allowing him to hold her against his side. When they landed beside the other two, Nino whistled, “What an entrance.” Chat bowed playfully and Marinette giggled.</p><p>“So, are you going to introduce us to your new friend, or what?” Alya gave her friend a pointed look. Marinette rolled her eyes, “If you insist. Chat, these are my friends, Alya and Nino. Guys, this is Chat Noir.” They each shook hands in turn, the black cat saying, “it’s nice to meet you. You run the Ladyblog, right?” Alya squealed and gripped his arm excitedly, “You read the ladyblog?”</p><p>“Uh, sometimes,” He admitted, amused by her enthusiasm, “I think you do a better job than most media outlets. Some of the theories I’ve read on there are a little farfetched, but they’re entertaining.” Marinette had never seen Alya this excited, hopping in place and fist pumping the air repeatedly as she laughed. Nino chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders, “So, we were thinking of hitting the pier. The ride are free for groups of four or more tonight.” Marinette groaned, “I thought we weren’t going to be walking around. You said we would stay inside!” Alya clucked her tongue, “I said we didn’t <em>have</em> to walk around and that we <em>could</em> stay inside. You really think we’d waste you sneaking out of your house to be inside somewhere?”</p><p>She and Nino exchanged mischievous glances. “I’ve never been to the pier,” Chat stated, looking to Marinette with a smile. Before she could respond, Alya chimed, “See? We have to go! Besides, it’s the middle of the week, it’ll be way less busy than if we went on a weekend or something.” The blue haired seamstress couldn’t believe this was happening. She rubbed her forehead, glancing between all three of them as they waited for her decision. Her gaze lingered on Chat Noir; his smile neutral but his eyes almost pleading.</p><p>She sighed, “Oh, okay. Stop looking at me like that.” The three of them whooped in unison, causing Marinette to laugh. They set off for the pier, which was thankfully not far from the bakery. Alya and Nino were in the lead, Marinette and Chat Noir just a few steps behind them. “Thanks for letting me tag along, Marinette,” Chat nudged her shoulder playfully. She nudged back, “Of course. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?” His demeanor seemed to rise, like his mood inflated as a grin broke over his face. She had to admit to herself, he looked adorable like that.</p><p>Alya and Nino fell into step on either side of them, the redhead leaning around her best friend to ask, “So, Chat Noir, what do superheroes do for fun?” He pushed his fingers back through his hair and sucked in a breath, “Ah, I actually don’t get out much unless it’s to fight akumas.” Nino clucked his tongue, “Bummer. This is a first for you, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Chat smiled at both of them, “thanks for inviting me.” Alya elbowed Marinette, consequently pushing her closer to the super cat as she gloated, “See, I told you he’d want in on our mischief.” Chat smirked, ignoring the faint blush on his neck from Marinette’s close proximity, “Mischief is my middle name.” Nino high fived him, which Chat looked positively delighted about. Marinette sighed, “It’s just too bad Adrien couldn’t be here, too.” Alya and Nino shared her thoughts, nodding solemnly. “That’s the guy from the pictures on your wall, right?” Chat Noir clarified, jerking a thumb behind them as if gesturing back to her house. Marinette floundered as Alya cooed, “Oh, you’ve been in her room?” The leather-clad hero blinked, “I mean, just once.”</p><p>Alya turned to walk backwards in front of them, hands behind her back in a falsely innocent manner, “Yeah, Adrien’s a good friend of ours and the subject of Marinette’s fascination.” She wiggled her eyebrows. Marinette could’ve screamed, tugging at her pigtails and rushing to cover her friend’s mouth as she corrected, “For fashion! My fascination for fashion. No other kind, <em>Alya</em>.” Chat and Nino exchanged glances, Nino drawing a metaphorical zipper across his lips. “Um, okay,” The superhero chuckled, not exactly sure what just transpired in front of him.</p><p>As the pier drew closer, the group heard the distant booming of bass. Walking through the huge archway, they were bathed in the colorful lights of all the different rides and games. Chat Noir’s eyes were wide and round, reflecting the scene in front of him as well as his own wonderment at it. He turned in a circle, unaware that his presence was already drawing eyes. Marinette noticed, but she couldn’t bring herself to mind. The cat looked like a kid in a candy store. “Come on, you guys!” Alya was already dragging Nino towards the closest ticket kiosk. “Rolls for four, please,” The redhead announced proudly, leaning on the side of the kiosk as the employee gawked at them. He stammered something unintelligible, arm half raised to point at Chat Noir in disbelief.</p><p>Chat still wasn’t paying attention. Marinette had to guide him back to the other two so he didn’t run into anything. His ears were perked in excitement, tail flicking in anticipation. Once the ticket seller came back to his senses, he handed Alya four large rolls of universal tickets. They could ride any ride or play any game until the tickets ran out, at which point they would have to purchase more. “Where should we start?” Nino asked as they regrouped off to the side so they weren’t blocking the ticket stand or the path. Marinette giggled as she nudged Chat’s arm, “What do you want to do first?”</p><p>“I have no idea,” He said honestly, sounding near breathless. He stared around their group, “This is so cool.” Alya turned on her heels and pointed off in the distance, “The Wipeout it is!” She was right about it not being as busy as normal. There were still plenty of people, but the pathways weren’t crowded and none of the lines were very long. Each ride they stood in line for had at least three people who were unabashedly staring at Chat, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Alya remained in charge of tickets, since she had her bag with her and it was bigger than Marinette’s purse.</p><p>As they were stumbling off the Orbiter, legs feeling like jello, Chat noticed a large sign a little ways down. The newest attraction to the pier was the brand-new rollercoaster they called the Ladybug Coaster; <em>super original and clever title</em>, Marinette thought. The entrance had a large, arched sign with two metal standees on each side. Ladybug was on the right and Chat Noir was on the left. The standees were around ten feet tall and definitely imposed a certain atmosphere on the riders. Chat stood in front of the Ladybug standee with his hands at his sides, tail swishing behind him as he stared up at the determined expression they’d given her.</p><p>Alya and Marinette were discussing where they’d stop to eat when Nino tapped their shoulders and gestured to their fourth party member. Marinette frowned, coming to stand beside him, Alya and Nino following shortly after. “This is what it feels like to stand next to her,” The black cat mumbled barely loud enough for the others to hear. This maybe wasn’t the best place for him to have an emotional upset, but Marinette couldn’t exactly blame him. His fists clenched, eyes squeezing shut as he turned his head away. The bluenette beside him bit her lip, glancing to Alya and Nino before taking a breath and hugging around Chat’s shoulders. He blinked at her in surprise, then turned to fully embrace her, burying his face against her shoulder.</p><p>“it’s okay, kitty,” Marinette whispered where she knew only he would hear. As if on instinct, her right hand ruffled his hair, rubbing his ear briefly. For just a second, she could’ve sworn she heard him purr, but the pier was too noisy for her to be sure. “Come on,” Marinette pulled back, fingers trailing down his arm to lace with his, “let’s go find something to eat.” To his credit, he hadn’t teared up. His hand gripped hers tightly. Alya sidled up next to Marinette as they all started walking again, murmuring in her friend’s ear, “You know everybody got pictures of that, right?” Marinette bit her lip and shrugged.</p><p>Nino stopped them at a scone stand, complaining about a mighty need he had for sweet bread. He got two scones, splitting one in half for him and Alya, handing the other one to Marinette. At first, she was confused as to why he didn’t get one for Chat Noir, but then realized he was smirking. She huffed, turning to Chat with a sheepish smile. He hadn’t let go of her hand yet, and she had an inkling if she let go now she’d be too nervous to grab his again. So instead, she held the scone up between them, “Here, hold that side.” Chat did as he was told, not questioning her in the slightest. He looked surprised as she ripped the scone in half, her eyes looking everywhere but at him.</p><p>“Oh,” He chuckled, popping the scone half in his mouth and mumbling around it, “thanks, Nino.” Nino gave them a thumbs up. Alya leaned up to whisper something in her boyfriend’s ear, then flashed Marinette a devious smile before stating, “Nino and I kinda want to go on the Ladybug Coaster. But you don’t mind keeping Chat Noir company ‘til we get back, right Marinette?” The bluenette made a sound like she might protest, glancing to Chat. He loosened his grip on her hand, making to take a step back as he said, “It’s okay, you can go with them. I’ll wait here.”</p><p>“No!” Marinette gripped his hand tighter, “I-I mean, I don’t really like rollercoasters that much, anyway. Besides, who would keep you out of trouble?” The grin he blessed her with was worth foregoing any rollercoaster. She didn’t notice Alya and Nino had already taken off, leaving them standing in the middle of the pathway, fingers locked together with a gaggle of onlookers snapping pictures from every angle. Chat rubbed his neck, leaning to whisper to Marinette, “Maybe we should wait somewhere with less eyes.” She nodded in agreement, dragging him around the back of a building. He let go of her hand to extend his staff, then gripped her tightly against his side and vaulted them on top of the building. Behind the large sign, they were perfectly hidden from prying eyes.</p><p>Marinette flexed the fingers of the hand he’d been holding. Her skin felt cold there. As Chat put his staff away, he realized he was still holding onto her. He clicked his teeth together and stepped back, hiding his hands behind him, “Sorry.” Marinette, sweet and kind as she was, giggled and assured him, “It’s fine.” She sat at the base of the sign, leaning against it and patting the spot next to her. Chat didn’t hesitate in seating himself there. “Are you having fun?” The bluenette asked considerately. “yeah, I really am,” The black cat leaned back on his arms, smiling over at her. Since the sign they were under was double sided, the fluorescent glow was just as bright even on the back. It perpetuated the excited feeling Marinette had in her belly since they set foot on the pier.</p><p>She leaned her head back and drew in a deep breath through her nose, eyes closed. She made to match his lean, but her hand brushed his as she set it down. They both jumped, giggling nervously and glancing away from each other. “So, um..” Chat shifted to sit on his knees, tapping his fingers together, “I don’t know how to thank you enough for letting me hang out with you and your friends. I mean, I know I must seem pathetic to you lately.. Pining over Ladybug and getting emotional and all..”</p><p>“No, of course not,” She cut him off, turning to face him, “I get it. You’re still human, and heartbreak hurts. I’m really sorry she did that to you..” A wave of guilt crashed over Marinette, knowing <em>she</em> was the reason his heart was hurting. As always, her partner was too forgiving, “It’s not your fault. It’s not hers, either. You can’t force someone to love you…” Marinette knew that all too well. She winced thinking about Adrien. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she unlocked it and stared at the home screen; a photo of Adrien from his last shoot, one she’d taken from the website they were always posted on. It seemed silly and impersonal now, to constantly remind herself of what likely could never be hers.</p><p>Chat tried not to look over her shoulder, but it wasn’t like she was trying to hide her phone screen any. He bit his lip, furrowing his brow and wondering if all those pictures really were just because she liked fashion. “Hey,” Marinette drew his attention as she scooted closer to him. She threw an arm around his neck, pressing close to him and holding her phone up in selfie mode. “Smile!” She grinned into the camera. He laughed and matched her enthusiasm. Removing her arm, Marinette set the new picture as her home screen, “There. Much better.” When she looked to Chat, they were still pressed together, a hairs width apart as blue eyes met green. Neither said anything, blinking at each other as they breathed the same air.</p><p>Marinette’s phone buzzed in her hand, causing her to yelp and almost drop it. Chat leaned back with a long exhale, willing his heart rate to slow. “Hey, Alya,” Marinette was impressed she didn’t pant with how fast her pulse felt. “Where are you guys?” Alya’s voice was accusatory and teasing at the same time. Marinette bit her lip, fighting a blush, “Um, go back to the scone stand, we’ll meet you there.” She hung up before her bestie could ask any embarrassing questions. The roof pair glanced at each other, chuckling nervously. “Time to go?” Chat asked, standing and offering his hand to her. Marinette took it with a pink tint to her cheeks, nodding. They hopped down from the roof and rushed back to the scone stand, trying to look natural as they approached Alya and Nino. “There you are,” Alya put her hands on her hips, smirking widely, “we were beginning to think you ditched us.”</p><p>“Of course not,” Marinette waggled her finger at her, looking to Chat for confirmation as she gave in excuse, “we were just taking a break from the public eye, that’s all.” He nodded, smiling. “To do what?” Nino teased, leaning his shoulder against Marinette’s at the same time Alya nudged Chat Noir. They squashed them together, Marinette having to wiggle out of the ridiculous sandwich with a blush on her cheeks. “Quit it,” She scolded them, folding her arms over her chest, “really not the time.” Chat was still hung up on Ladybug, after all. It seemed insensitive to suggest he move on so quickly.</p><p><em>Move on</em>? The voice in her head chided, <em>with who, you</em>?</p><p>They all three were looking at her in surprise. Since she’d moved, Chat was now comically squished between Nino and Alya. He laughed and they grinned up at him, “It’s okay, Marinette. It’s just teasing. It doesn’t mean anything if it’s not true, right?” Her words caught in her throat, raising her hands to gesture something that didn’t really make any sense. She coughed, “Right. Yeah. Doesn’t mean anything.” Alya tsk’d, “Come on, let’s go find some games to play.”</p><p>They were once again walking the path, pointing out games they were interested in or rides they wanted to go on a second time. As it would turn out, Chat Noir was really good at all the accuracy games. By the time they’d hit the ring toss, the balloon darts, and the milk bottles, Alya and Nino were loaded down with the biggest prizes available. He never wanted anything himself and Marinette was too shy to ask. That was, until they passed a large board with holes in it, each ringed in a different color. At the prize stand were several stuffed toys; generic horses or teddy bears with cute little vests. But on the top shelf was a modestly sized, black cat plush, curled in a sleeping pose with its eyes barely open. They were bright green. She didn’t notice she was staring until Chat Noir asked, “You got a prize in mind, Marinette?”</p><p>She jumped, blushing as Alya and Nino laughed at her expense. “Um..” She glanced to the game board, fiddling with her fingers as she admitted, “Maybe?” Alya handed the kiosk worker the necessary tickets as Chat took the foam balls offered to him. “What level?” He eyed the board, calculating his throws. “The highest one,” Marinette mumbled shyly, catching Alya and Nino snickering out of the corner of her eye. She stuck her tongue out at them, not surprised when Chat perfectly sunk all three foam balls into the top hole. When the employee asked which prize they wanted, the cat hero looked to her expectantly, but she couldn’t form the words. Her mouth worked, but no sound came out. Alya leaned on the counter beside her, wiggling her eyebrows, “She wants the cat on the top shelf.”</p><p>Chat Noir looked surprised as Marinette nodded and the game employee handed her the plush. Her face was burning, a deep crimson that was only further enflamed when Chat nudged her shoulder playfully and said, “Hey, he looks familiar.” The squeak she let out was quite undignified. Alya and Nino cackled behind them as Chat rubbed the back of his neck and led them off, so they weren’t blocking the counter. “It’s okay, Marinette,” His voice was soft and understanding, “there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”</p><p>She shouldn’t have looked up.</p><p>His vivid green eyes were looking down at her with reverence, his smile kind. With the pier lights behind him, his features glowed, cat ears twitching with all the sounds. Marinette’s legs felt weak. She was suddenly transported back to the first day she’d met Adrien, when he gave her that umbrella and her insides melted. One look, just the way Chat was looking at her now. She almost wished she had that umbrella, so it could close on her again and break this trance she seemed to be in. Someone bumped her and she stumbled forward into the black cat’s arms. “Woah, hey,” He chuckled. If he hadn’t been holding onto her, she would’ve collapsed on the ground. His facial expression slowly shifted from one of contentment, to one of concern, to something else entirely. Marinette was vaguely aware of something tickling her ankle.</p><p>Chat’s eyes dropped down to the ground for a split second, and he jumped backward with a very cat-like ‘rowr!’. “Sorry!” He put one hand behind his head as the other grabbed his tail, an embarrassed grin on his face. Marinette blinked, shaking her head to come out of her stupor. “Huh?” She said intelligently, glancing to Alya and Nino for explanation. They were staring between Marinette and Chat Noir with dumbfounded expressions. They glanced at each other, then Alya said, “Okay, kids. I think it’s getting late. Maybe we should all head home.”</p><p>They started back towards the entrance, the lights and music fading the farther away they walked. Paris seemed so much quieter now. Nino was walking ahead with Chat Noir, discussing some game they apparently both played. Alya lagged back with Marinette, who was clutching the cat plush to her chest like her life depended on it. “What in the world was that about?” Alya put her hands on her hips in a worried mother pose. Marinette took a breath and shook her head helplessly, “I-I have no idea…”</p><p>“Girl, I was kidding around with you about liking Chat Noir. Do you really?”</p><p>“No!” Marinette’s outburst drew the boys’ eyes, but they quickly turned away when she glared at them. “No, I do not,” Marinette reiterated, but she sounded unsure even to herself. Alya suppressed a chuckle, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder, “Would it be so bad if you did?” The bluenette sputtered, squeezing the cat plush harder, “Well- I mean, I don’t know, but- Wh-what about Adrien?”</p><p>“What <em>about</em> Adrien?” Alya laughed, “you aren’t dating. And you can’t speak normally to him to save your life. Whereas you seem pretty relaxed around Chat Noir.” Marinette licked her lips, trying to think how she could explain this to Alya without actually giving her any information. She sighed, “Look, Alya.. there’s more going on than I can tell you, okay? Chat’s going through something right now and I really don’t think it’s good idea to be pushing a crush on him.”</p><p>The redhead cocked an eyebrow, “A crush that you don’t have.” Marinette’s face reddened at her mistake and she nodded fervently, “Right. I don’t have a crush on him, and even if I did, now’s not a great time for one.” They walked quietly for a while, the bakery just barely visible in the distance. Eventually, Alya pursed her lips and asked quietly, “Is it about Ladybug?”</p><p>“Huh?” Marinette slightly panicked, at first not realizing what she could be referring to. Her friend gestured to the black cat hero in front of them with only her eyes. The bluenette sighed and gave a single, subtle nod in confirmation. Alya frowned, brow knitting in sympathy, “Oh.” it wasn’t a total secret that Chat Noir was in love with Ladybug. After all, his flirting during their battles was very public. It also wasn’t a total secret that Ladybug did not flirt back. “I think, for right now, he just needs friends,” Marinette put a hand on Alya’s shoulder. The blogger nodded, smiling with determination, “Then he’ll get friends.”</p><p>They reached the bakery sooner than Marinette would’ve liked. In truth, she was having a really good time being out and about. But they did have school tomorrow, and Chat’s kwami would eventually need rest. “This is where we part ways,” Nino bowed dramatically, moving to Alya’s side. Chat Noir chuckled and bowed back, “Thanks for letting me tag along, guys. I had a lot of fun.”</p><p>“Oh, don’t you worry,” Alya winked, hugging Nino’s arm, “there’s plenty more fun to be had. Just wait ‘til we drag you to karaoke night at my place.” The superhero chuckled, turning to Marinette with a smile.  She smiled back, glancing up to her balcony, “You gonna make me sneak back in?” He tsk’d under his breath, shaking his head as he pulled the bluenette against his side. “Of course not,” He saluted to Alya and Nino before leaping up to the balcony with Marinette’s arms wrapped tightly around his neck. “I really can’t thank you enough,” Chat said as he set her down carefully, “for even just agreeing to be my friend.” Marinette shook her head, pulling him into their second hug of the night, “You don’t have to thank me, kitty. I like being your friend.”</p><p>It took him a second to return the hug this time, but when he did, he squeezed her tightly. Marinette honestly didn’t want to let go; he was warm and solid, and her head fit nicely in the crook of his neck. She could’ve fallen asleep there, had they not separated. Chat’s green eyes were a little glossy, and he sniffled, but he was grinning. “Go home and get some rest, okay?” The seamstress instructed, drawing her fingers through his hair because that seemed to comfort him. “Okay,” He mumbled, leaning into her touch. She pulled her hand back, but before she could turn to leave, Chat Noir grabbed her wrist and stepped into her space. The bluenette froze as his lips touched her cheek, his voice shyly saying, “see you tomorrow night,” before he disappeared over the rooftops.</p><p>Marinette was putty, sinking to her knees and gingerly touching her cheek where his lips had been. She gripped the stuffed cat tighter to her chest. Tikki peaked out of her purse and giggled, “You okay, Marinette?” She only got a strangled whimper in return.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Feline Cute, Might Delete later</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I apologize for the punny title, I couldn’t help myself.</p>
<p>I’ve realized that I’m pretty decent at writing incredibly sappy love scenes, which is nice because that’s all I want right now. Having a rough time, but these two dorks are getting me through it. Is the fact that Marinette treats Chat like a giant lap cat, and the fact that he enjoys it very much, cringey and tooth-rotting? Perhaps. Is it making me feel better? Absolutely.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She told herself she could handle the consequences of her actions, but Marinette was much too tired to be dealing with all these questions. She, Alya, and Nino were all out of sorts because of how late they’d stayed out. Adrien looked to be less tired than usual, but that could’ve had something to do with the large cup of coffee he was cradling. As soon as Marinette set foot in the school that morning, she was bombarded with students showing her picture after picture of her and Chat Noir; close ups of their held hands, standing in line, the hug in front of Ladybug’s standee. The most incriminating, however, was the scenario that happened at the end of the night: Marinette staring up at the black cat like he’d hung the moon, and Chat Noir with an expression that frighteningly matched. In the full body photos, she could see his tail brushing her ankle.</p>
<p>She cursed that stupid, stuffed cat plush she was crushing. This was all its fault.</p>
<p>“Look, we’re just friends, okay?” Marinette tried in vain to explain the situation, backing away from the crowd that surrounded her. Alya shoved her way through, putting her pinkies in her mouth and whistling to draw everyone’s attention. “Okay, back off, you mongrels,” The redhead instructed, arms out as she guided her friend to their classroom so there would at least be less people. “I told you people were taking a butt load of pictures,” She said to Marinette once they were safely behind the door.</p>
<p>“I know,” Marinette groaned, sinking into her seat and attempting to ignore the stares she was getting from her classmates, “I just didn’t think about what exactly that meant at the time.”</p>
<p>“Well now the entire city thinks you’re dating Chat Noir,” Nino frowned, holding up his phone to show the mountainous amount of social media posts and news sources talking about their outing. The bluenette put her head down on her desk, covering it with her arms, “I knoooow… and my parents were really mad about me sneaking out last night, but also weirdly excited about me having a boyfriend.”</p>
<p>“Are you really dating him?” Adrien’s voice was like a blessing and a curse all at once. Marinette peaked out from under her arms at him, swallowing, “N-No.. I mean, we haven’t talked about anything like that. And we <em>just</em> became friends, isn’t that a little fast?” Alya and Nino glanced at each other knowingly, being the only ones to actually witness Marinette and Chat Noir’s interactions last night without distance. “I don’t know, girl, you guys seemed really…” Alya trailed off trying to think of the word, rotating her wrist in a circle. “Close?” Nino suggested, “In sync? Touchy?” His girlfriend tried not to laugh as she said, “All of the above.”</p>
<p>The bluenette sunk down in her seat as her friend continued, “I mean, you should’ve been there, Adrien. At one point, they snuck off to ‘take a break from the public eye.’ Tell me that doesn’t sound like they went to make out somewhere.” Adrien stared at her dumbly, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. “Alyaaa…” Marinette complained, “I already told you, we didn’t want people staring at us like zoo exhibits. Not that it helped…”</p>
<p>“And then he won you a stuffed cat,” The redhead reminded her.</p>
<p>“He won you and Nino stuff, too!”</p>
<p>“Not like that, though.”</p>
<p>Marinette tugged at her hair, shaking her head in frustration, “Alya, I told you-“ Her bestie cut her off, “I know, I know, not the right time for you to be schmoozing him. But when <em>is</em> the right time?” Adrien took a breath and interjected, “Have you asked him how <em>he</em> feels?” Both girls blinked at him, then Marinette crossed her arms triumphantly, “Ha! He’s right! Chat probably doesn’t even like me like that.”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s not exactly what I-“ Adrien’s mumbling was interrupted by Chloe leaning on his desk. She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and fixed Marinette with a glare, “Look me in the eyes, Dupain-Cheng, and tell me you don’t have the hots for leather cat boy.” The seamstress made a strangled noise, making eye contact with Chloe for a brief second before she had to look away. Adrien bit the inside of his lip to keep from blushing as Marinette stammered, “I-It’s not that black and white, okay? I’m not saying I don’t like him a little, I just...” Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t explain her dilemma while Adrien was sitting right there in front of her! Especially not when he was looking at her so intensely.</p>
<p>She squeaked and hid her face behind her backpack, Alya patting her back. “It’s okay,” The blogger reassured her friend, “look, those of us who know, we get it. And those who don’t should mind their own business.” She glanced pointedly at Chloe, who snorted. “I do know what she’s going on about, for your information,” The mayor’s daughter tsk’d, “I found out her little secret a while ago.” The blonde model next to her frowned, looking between Chloe and Alya, “Do I know?” Alya’s and Nino’s backs stiffened as Chloe raised an eyebrow. “I doubt it,” She snorted, returning to her seat. Adrien turned to Nino, who helplessly shrugged and said, “It’s probably a girl thing, dude.”</p>
<p>Adrien slumped in his seat, folding his arms over his chest and tapping his fingers in thought. The first night he’d gone to her as Chat Noir, Marinette said she’d had her heartbroken. <em>Well, that the guy who had her heart didn’t know it</em>. Who could she possibly like? It had to be someone from their class, right? “There’s someone else you like, isn’t there?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking, turning to lean his elbow on Marinette’s desk. She paled, the whole room falling silent. “S-Some-Someone else?” She stuttered, confused and panicked. “Other than Chat Noir,” Adrien clarified.</p>
<p>With how white she turned, he was surprised she didn’t pass out. There was an odd atmosphere of suspense and all the girls were leaning forward in their seats; including Alya, who nudged Marinette’s shoulder to jar her into saying something. “Uuhh..” The bluenette swallowed thickly, “There.. might be..” Before he could ask who, Miss Bustier walked in, accompanied shortly after by the bell. The students collectively sighed and settled back in their seats. Marinette scrubbed her face with both hands, breathing deeply to calm her heart.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Marinette paced back and forth across her bedroom, glancing at the clock every few seconds. She had her arms crossed, chewing on her thumb nail as Tikki watched her. Chat had said he’d be back that night. The anticipation was killing them both. “What are you going to tell him?” Tikki asked from where she sat on the desk. Her holder huffed through her nose and rubbed her temples, “I don’t know, Tikki. I’m not even sure he likes me. I mean, embarrassing as it is, Alya has a point. Chat Noir is a lot easier for me to talk to than Adrien.”</p>
<p>“Do you like Chat Noir the same as Adrien?” The red bug kwami nibbled on a macaroon. Her holder paused, glancing over her shoulder at the skylight. She nodded her head slowly as a blush crept up her neck, “I-I think I do… But is that okay? I mean, he’s still upset about Ladybug. And isn’t that, like.. super hypocritical of me?” Tikki floated over to her, giggling, “Well, Ladybug didn’t see the sensitive side he apparently has. I don’t think you should worry about that too much.”</p>
<p>She didn’t get much more time <em>to</em> worry, a scratch on her roof drawing both their gazes upward. It was stupid how much the noise made Marinette’s heart flutter. She sucked in a breath, giving Tikki a brief nod before exiting onto the balcony. “Hey, Chat,” She greeted kindly. He was seated in the same place as before, on the lounger with his legs crossed. He grinned when he saw her, tail curling in little upside-down S shapes. “Hey, Marinette,” The black cat shifted to make room for her, “I brought you something.” Marinette sat beside him with a smile, “Kitty, I told you, you don’t have to bring me gifts.”</p>
<p>“I know I don’t <em>have</em> to,” One ear dropped shyly as he handed her a little box. Upon removing the lid, she discovered a silver thimble with vine engravings spiraling over the sides. “Oh, Chat,” She shook her head, “This is beautiful. But.. I don’t understand why you keep bringing me things.” He shrugged, rubbing his shoulder, “I don’t know, I guess I just want to.” Marinette eyed him a moment, then stood and offered her hand, “Come watch a movie with me. I’ll bring up some leftover pastries.”</p>
<p>Surprised but not hesitant, Chat took her hand and followed her down to her bedroom. Once they were setup with a tray of pastries and her laptop propped under the desk - pillows and blankets strewn about the floor where they sat - the cat hero turned to Marinette and said, “Hey, um.. about last night? I’m really sorry about all the photos. I didn’t think it would blow up as much as it has. I understand if you’d rather not be in public with me from now on..” The bluenette blinked at him slowly, feeling her cheeks heat up. She bit her lip, shifting to face him, “No. I knew what would happen. I was okay with it then, and I still am now. I’m sorry if it’s upsetting for you.. I know you’re still in love with Ladybug, I was just trying to be comforting..”</p>
<p>“You were comforting,” Chat Noir grabbed her hand, their eyes locking for a split second until he glanced away, “a-are comforting.. I haven’t had much physical affection, but it was really nice. I guess I’m just not sure what’s okay and what’s too far.” Marinette squeezed his hand, nudging their shoulders together and smiling widely, “It’s only too far if one of us is uncomfortable, right? So, we just say if we’re uncomfortable.” Green eyes sparkled, turning her insides to mush. Chat Noir nodded, scooting closer so their legs brushed. When Marinette didn’t protest, he settled comfortably beside her, turning his attention to the laptop and whatever movie she had queued up.</p>
<p>The bluenette tried her best to pay attention to the film, but Chat was warm against her side and her mind kept drifting to the pier. Also, sitting up like this was starting to hurt her back. Eventually, she huffed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling with her hands on her belly. Her guest looked down at her with a smile, “Tired?”</p>
<p>“No,” Marinette denied, stretching her arms briefly, “just a long day.” Chat Noir laid next to her, crossing his ankles and folding his hands behind his head. They lay quietly beside each other, the sounds of the movie lost on their ears as they watched the ceiling. “Hey, kitty?” Marinette eventually turned her head, ignoring the implication of a pet name that he so easily answered to, “can I ask you a personal question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” At his nod, she bit the inside of her cheek and carefully asked, “Why do you love Ladybug?” The black cat stiffened, his arms slowly moving to his sides as he mulled the answer over in his head.</p>
<p>With a sigh, he sat up, picking at his claws, “It’s probably foolish of me to love someone I don’t really know, I get that.. she’s just so brave and kind. And beautiful. Plus, being Chat Noir makes me feel like I can be the real me and I thought Ladybug was the only one I’d ever interact with, with that kind of freedom.” Marinette blinked. She’d always assumed Chat Noir used his hero persona the same way she did; to be something she wasn’t. She never thought he’d use it to be himself. Marinette knew full well that she was not the smooth, quick-witted person she pretended to be as Ladybug. She was clumsy and shy, with plenty of insecurities.</p>
<p><em>You’ll never be what he wants</em>, her subconscious jeered. She shook her head to ignore it, instead reassuring him, “I’m sure you’ll find someone else you can be yourself with. I mean, you’re yourself with me, right?” He turned surprised eyes to her, blinking like he’d never thought of that before. He furrowed his brow, rubbing his chin as he looked away again. The movie rolled to credits by the time Chat spoke again, “Can I ask you something in return?” Marinette nodded, since that was only fair. He jerked his thumb at her wall, “These photos aren’t just because you like fashion, are they?” At first, she wanted to scream, expression unreadable as she regarded his sincerity. He looked… nervous. The bluenette sighed, putting her arm over her face as she shook her head, “No… they aren’t…”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you tell him?” Chat Noir settled back down with her, propped up on his elbow. Marinette huffed, making an odd hand gesture that didn’t mean anything, “Because he doesn’t like me that way. And I turn into a complete, blubbering mess whenever I try. Besides, I wouldn’t want him to feel bad if he’s too busy for a relationship.. His dad’s really protective and controlling.” He didn’t realize she had that much insecurity. He thought Marinette was fantastic! She might have been right about him not having time, though. When he was Adrien, he barely had time for friends, let alone a girlfriend.</p>
<p>But Chat Noir had time.</p>
<p>The black cat huffed and laid his head on her belly, looking up at the seamstress with sympathetic eyes, “I’m sorry.” Marinette blushed but didn’t move him, “O-Oh, it’s okay. Like you said, you can’t force someone to love you.” He nodded, closing his eyes and nuzzling where his face rested. She giggled, causing his heart to jump up to his throat and his tail to thump the ground, pleased by her reaction. Her hands found his hair, scratching behind his cat ears and ruffling the blonde locks. With a soft purr, his eyes closed. “Are you purring?” Marinette laughed, rubbing the back of his right ear. He only grunted in response, purring louder and instinctively kneading the blanket they were laying on.</p>
<p>Humming contently, Marinette closed her eyes and allowed herself to cherish this small moment. She knew he’d have to leave soon, but for the time being, she was really enjoying having this silly cat basically on her lap. Maybe moving on from Adrien wouldn’t be such a bad thing, if Chat Noir was who she moved on with. And maybe Marinette could make him feel more loved and appreciated than Ladybug ever could.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Alya sat down in her usual seat with a dramatic flourish of her hair. She leaned over to her best friend and batted her eyelashes, waiting to see if Marinette would notice her presence. The bluenette was staring at the opposite wall, chin rested on her hand with a dopey smile. “You look like you’re in a really good mood,” The blogger said by her ear, causing Marinette to jump straight up and almost fall out of her seat. “Alya,” She halfheartedly complained, unable to keep the smile off her face for long. “Did your prince charming return last night?” Alya wiggled her eyebrows, nudging her ribs. Despite Nino and Adrien turning their attention to the girls’ conversation, Marinette couldn’t bring herself to be bothered. She giggled and shrugged, surprising all three of them with a stutterless, “He maybe did. We maybe watched a movie and I maybe found out he purrs.”</p>
<p>Alya guffawed, smacking the table as Nino balked and Adrien turned his head away to hide his blushing laughter. “Wait, so are you guys a thing now or what?” Nino asked the important question. Marinette was very aware of the other ears in the room also listening for her answer. She tapped her chin as if she were thinking hard, then offered in explanation, “We haven’t labeled it. We sort of just decided that we’re going to be whatever it is we are and that’s good enough for now.”</p>
<p>“Wow,” Adrien smiled at her, “that’s really cool, Marinette. I’m happy for you.” Continuing with her surprises, the seamstress grinned at him and said, “Thanks. He is pretty cool.” Without warning, Alya threw her arms around Marinette and fake-sobbed into her shoulder. The bluenette was bewildered, hugging her friend in concern, “Alya, what-“</p>
<p>“My child is growing up!” The redhead dramatically pressed her hand to her own forehead, “she’s talking to cute boys without stuttering!” Marinette blushed and shoved her away playfully, folding her arms over her chest and sticking her tongue out with a giggle. “Who <em>is</em> this new woman next to me?” Alya continued her over-the-top thespianism, “I don’t know her! Oh Marinette, where have you gone, sweet child?”</p>
<p>As Alya and Marinette goofed around behind them, Nino was laughing at their antics. Adrien was chuckling, too, but he was mainly fighting his own excitement that Marinette was so comfortable with Chat Noir she didn’t have the stuttering problem with him. Not only that, but she was <em>talking about him to her friends</em>. He considered it a genuine privilege to be witness to that, and he felt a little guilty he couldn’t do the same for her. He’d make it up to her, though, whether she knew it or not. He’d already thought about what he would bring her tonight. The gift giving was an impulse he couldn’t seem to control, and he vehemently ignored Plagg when he likened it to a cat bringing his favorite person presents.</p>
<p>The girls behind them were discussing weekend plans, since it was Friday and Marinette’s parents were leaving until Monday. “I could convince Nora to take the twins somewhere for the weekend,” Alya was teasing, “and then we could all have a big sleepover at my place.”</p>
<p>“All?” Marinette raised an eyebrow, “you mean you, me, and Nino?”</p>
<p>“And Chat Noir, of course,” The redhead winked, putting an arm over her seamstress friend’s shoulders, “if he wants to and can. C’mon, you saw how excited he was to go with us to the pier. You can’t tell me he wouldn’t be ecstatic if we invited him to a sleepover.” The bluenette struggled to find an answer, “Well, yeah, he probably would.. but is that a good idea? I mean, for him to stay out all night without his family knowing.” She had a fierce blush on her cheeks that also suggested she was shy about inviting him in the first place. After all, they’d never spent a full night together. And how comfortable would he be being affection towards her around Alya and Nino?</p>
<p>“You should invite him and see what he says,” Adrien put in, drawing both the girls’ gazes. Alya looked a little guilty as she apologized, “Sorry we can’t have you over, too, Adrien. We know how your dad is.” The blonde shrugged and sighed, “Yeah. It’s okay. I have a lot booked this weekend, anyway.” Marinette was lost in thought, chewing her index finger as she debated with herself. There was no harm in asking Chat if he wanted to go. Worst case scenario, he could hang out for a couple hours and then have to go home. That wouldn’t be much different than their current routine, besides the change in location.</p>
<p>She just hoped he wouldn’t be put off by having extra company while they hung out.</p>
<p>After an extra few minutes, Marinette said, “Okay. I’ll invite him and let you know what he thinks. Regardless, I’ll definitely be over at your house tonight.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>She was waiting on her balcony, her bag packed and slung over her shoulder. The plan was, if Chat said yes, they’d go to Alya’s together. If he decided he couldn’t, maybe he’d drop her off there, or maybe she’d walk. She felt a little bad having to turn him away if he didn’t want to go to Alya’s, but her friends were important, too. “Going somewhere?” His warm voice sounded behind her, but she was prepared and didn’t jump this time. Marinette grinned, watching him drop from the roof and bow to her. He had a pink rose in his mouth, which she giggled at as she approached him. “Hi, kitty,” The bluenette greeted, taking the rose from him and scratching under his chin. She was getting used to the presents. “Actually, we both might be going somewhere,” Marinette corrected, hanging the rose upside down beside a planter so it could dry nicely, “if you want to.”</p>
<p>“Where?” Chat climbed up to perch on her railing, his belt tail swishing behind him. “Alya’s got her apartment to herself this weekend,” She explained, “and she invited us to a sleepover. I’m going.. I told her you probably won’t be able to stay overnight, but maybe you’d want to hang out for a bit?” Chat bit his lip, ear twitching as he considered the offer (as if he hadn’t already thought about it at school all day). “Overnight might be risky,” He mused, tail flicking, “but wherever my princess wants to go, I’ll go. I like Alya, anyway.” Marinette stared at him a moment, heart fluttering stupidly in her chest. “Y-Your princess?” She gripped her bag tighter, a dumb smile splitting her cheeks. Chat rubbed the back of his neck, cat ears flattening, “You don’t like it? I can think of something else.”</p>
<p>“No!” Marinette grabbed his hand, giggling at his surprised expression, “No, I like it. I really like it.” She giggled harder as he nuzzled her shoulder happily, pulling out her phone to tell Alya to leave her window open for them. Chat slid off the railing and scooped Marinette up in his arms, relishing in the trust she exhibited by wrapping her arms around his neck. “Ready?” He asked, grinning as she nodded eagerly.</p>
<p>It only took them a few minutes to swing into the open window, Marinette laughing at Alya and Nino’s surprised faces. They were cuddled on the couch together, facing each other like they might have been kissing or about to kiss. “Oh, are we interrupting something?” Chat Noir teased them as he gently let Marinette stand. Nino pursed his lips as Alya scoffed, “Uh, yeah. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of time for that later.” She winked at her boyfriend, who laughed nervously. Marinette didn’t want to know what that meant.</p>
<p>“This is gonna be great, I can’t believe you actually showed,” Alya jumped off the couch to hug Marinette and punch Chat’s arm. He looked amused, unphased by her physical affront. “What do you mean?” The bluenette raised an eyebrow, “you didn’t think <em>I</em> would show?”</p>
<p>“Well, I suspected that if Chat said he just wanted to hang out at your place, you’d definitely ditch us for some one on one,” The blogger wiggled her eyebrows, causing both her guests to blush and glance away from each other, “and I wouldn’t have blamed you.” Marinette pouted with narrowed eyes, folding her arms over her chest, “I would not ditch you. I might have… been delayed for an hour or two.” She squeaked as Chat Noir nuzzled her cheek, throwing her arms around his neck and giggling wildly. He purred when she ruffled his hair, his tail lashing happily. Alya coughed and mumbled to Nino, “I think we’re the ones interrupting now.”</p>
<p>Marinette had to force herself to let go of him, cheeks bright pink. Well, that proved her worries about him being uncomfortable unwarranted. He didn’t look the least bit embarrassed by the odd display of affection. “Okay, Alya,” Marinette sat on the long end of the couch, “what have you planned for us?” The redhead rubbed her hands together, “First of all, Nino and I are going to attempt to beat our high score in Just Dance. Then we thought we could make cookies or something and watch scary movies the rest of the night. Are you staying over, Chat?”</p>
<p>“Probably not,” Chat Noir sighed, seating himself next to Marinette and putting his feet up on the table, “it’ll be too suspicious if I don’t make it to breakfast on time. But maybe I’ll come back over tomorrow afternoon, if that’s okay.” All three of the others assured him it was. He watched inquisitively as Alya and Nino set up their game. As Adrien, he’d only watched this through Marinette’s phone camera. It was exciting to finally get to do this with his friends in real life. The bluenette beside him was already humming to the song previews they searched through. She was very used to this.</p>
<p>When he first approached Marinette on the night of their shared woe, Chat Noir never expected to end up sitting beside her on Alya’s couch with a craving for her attention. It never crossed his mind that spending hours at a time with her would bring them so close together. He knew Marinette was a great person; he was the one who deemed her their everyday Ladybug, after all. But this feeling she gave him put his admiration for the actual Ladybug to shame. Ladybug didn’t really indulge his dumb jokes. Ladybug didn’t scratch his ears or cuddle him or feed him leftover pastries. Yes, perhaps those things were trivial to anyone else. Would Marinette do that for any poor soul? Maybe. She was sweet that way. But there was no mistaking her blushes or the way she giggled at him. That was purely for Chat Noir and he knew it.</p>
<p>It might have been the feline in him, but he needed to be touching her.</p>
<p>As Nino and Alya discussed their options – debating which song they could execute perfectly to get the highest score – Chat shuffled closer to Marinette. When he set his hand on hers, she didn’t hesitate to lace their fingers together. She didn’t even look at him because she didn’t have to; he’d expressed his odd craving for affection already. Without knowing the details of his home life, she had gathered that he was very sheltered and hadn’t much experienced things like a friendly touch or a shoulder to cry on. In fact, Marinette was fairly certain he didn’t do a lot of hanging out with friends when he wasn’t Chat Noir. That probably contributed to what he’d told her about his hero persona feeling like the real him.</p>
<p>“Okay, kiddies,” Alya said to them, cracking her knuckles in a campy fashion, “you ready to have your minds blown?” Chat nodded eagerly, the bell at his neck lightly jingling. The blogger laughed, “I like the enthusiasm.” She fell into step beside Nino as the song started and the prompts scrolled up the screen. The pair was very practiced and precise in their movements. However, by the end of it, they hadn’t quite beat their score yet. Nino apologized for getting a step or two wrong, but Alya didn’t care. She kissed his cheek and assured him they had plenty of time to do it again.</p>
<p>Marinette was idly humming to the tune of the menu, squeezing Chat Noir’s hand. The black cat looked to her with a smile, earning a grin in return. He turned and laid down on his back, head on the bluenette’s lap. His green eyes gazed up at her adoringly. She giggled, cheeks pinking as she automatically played with his hair and ears. Her attentiveness drew a relaxed purr from his chest, his fingers flexing at nothing and tail curling happily. Marinette was no stranger to finding something or someone cute, but this oversized kitten really made her want to squeal. She bit her lip, a toothy grin making her cheeks ache.</p>
<p>Triumphant cheering reminded them they weren’t alone. Nino lifted Alya and spun in a circle, the <em>New High Score</em> banner flashing across the television. Marinette clapped for them while Chat Noir laughed. When they finished their celebratory handshake, Alya rounded on the couch pair and pointed a deliberate finger at the black cat, “You wanna try, Mr Hero?” His eyes widened as he sat up, tail whipping excitedly against the couch, “Me? Really?” The redhead winked, gesturing for him to join her in front of the TV. Green cat eyes briefly glanced to Marinette as the leather-clad hero stood to comply. Nino sat on the arm of the couch, chuckling as Alya explained how the game worked. Chat was a quick learner and Marinette was confident he would catch on without issue.</p>
<p>Her redheaded bestie started them on easy difficulty; a song with an even tempo that didn’t require too much fast movement. As predicted, Chat Noir was a natural and effortlessly matched Alya’s practiced skill. “Perfect!” She praised him, applauding as she backed toward the couch. Without warning, she grabbed Marinette’s arm and practically shoved her at him, “now for the challenging bit!”</p>
<p>“W-Wait, Alya, you know I‘m too clumsy for this game!” The seamstress pleaded, ignoring the fire that sprung to her cheeks when Chat caught her. He blinked down at her, then grinned, “Aw, come on, Marinette. You can do it.” She straightened herself with a huff, nervously glancing to the LED screen. Once again, she couldn’t say no to those pleading, green eyes. “Fine,” She conceded, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you if I break something.”</p>
<p>Her nerves felt wired as Chat flipped through a few songs, asking Nino and Alya’s advice for a good one that wouldn’t require too much coordination. Her skin tingled with anxiety, but she suspected it wasn’t only from the anticipation of playing Just Dance. Chat Noir’s relaxed posture eased her a little; until the song started and she snapped her eyes to the side of the screen with the dance prompts. Marinette didn’t know the first thing about dancing. She was usually too clumsy to even consider practicing. The closest she’d ever come to being a good dancer was at Chloe’s weird party, with Adrien.</p>
<p>Her execution was robotic and forced, her insecurities rising with every dance move. She felt ridiculous, and she was certain she looked that way. She was ready to give up when Chat grabbed her hand and said, “Hey. Look at me, Princess.” Marinette tore her gaze away from the television to meet his reassuring one. He demonstrated a deep breath as they swapped places, spinning her in a slow circle so she wouldn’t lose her footing. She mimicked him, feeling the tension leave her shoulders and a smile sprout on her lips. There wasn’t much left to the song, but she felt better for it, at least. Alya and Nino clapped when they finished, ever the supporting friends.</p>
<p>“Good job,” Chat praised her, giving a silly bow. Marinette sucked in a happy breath before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. He grunted in surprise, but just laughed and hugged back as she nuzzled their noses together. “Thank you, Kitty,” The bluenette mumbled between them, her breath sweet and warm on his face. His ears twitched, tail once again brushing her ankle as he purred loudly. “Anything for you, Princess,” It was almost a vow, permeating the air around them with a sense of belonging neither had felt before. Alya cleared her throat, one eyebrow raised, “Hate to burst this adorable bubble, but the night’s not over yet.”</p>
<p>Marinette and Chat Noir blushed deeply as they reluctantly separated, each mumbling some apology under their breath. Alya rolled her eyes playfully and headed for the kitchen. “What kind of cookies are we making, Marinette?” The redhead asked as she sifted through her cabinets. The seamstress looked to her cat comrade, “What kind of cookies do you like?”</p>
<p>“All cookies,” He grinned, following her to the kitchen counter. “Chocolate chip?” Nino requested as he sat on a stool. The girls nodded as they gathered the necessary ingredients. Alya set her phone on the counter with music playing softly through the speakers. She greased a cookie sheet while Marinette expertly mixed a batch of dough. Nino was drumming the counter and humming to the music while Chat Noir watched the bluenette with fascination. He didn’t know anything about baking, outside of what her dad had shared with their class, but she was obviously good at it. He had his elbows on the counter, chin rested in his hands and tail swishing back and forth to the tunes floating around them.</p>
<p>Marinette fished four spoons out of a drawer, scooping globs of cookie dough onto each and passing them out to their group. Nino and Alya toasted theirs together, leaning across the counter to share a chaste kiss before eating the treat. When Marinette offered Chat Noir his spoonful, his pupils dilated so far she could practically see herself reflected in them. She laughed, tapping her finger to the end of his nose and nibbling her own cookie dough. Chat had never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his entire life.</p>
<p>Once the cookies were in the oven, Alya was listing off scary movies for them to watch. It was getting later and Chat Noir was debating himself over how late was too late to be out. He wanted to watch at least one movie; scary movies were the perfect excuse for cuddling, right? Not that he needed one with Marinette, he was fairly certain she would let him cuddle her whenever he wanted.</p>
<p>Still.</p>
<p>Alya and Marinette retrieved all the extra pillows and blankets they could gather from around the house, moving the coffee table and building what was essentially a huge nest in front of the television. The pillows were lined along the couch so the movie-watchers could recline with ease. With plates of fresh cookies, the four friends drifted to the living room. Alya turned off all the lights except for a table lamp in the corner. The window was still open, the breeze chilly and conducive to the spooky atmosphere she was setting. She and Nino curled up together under a knitted blanket, their body language suggesting this was a familiar routine. Marinette leaned against the propped pillows with a content sigh. The black cat hero settled next to her, gently taking her hand and leaning so their shoulders were pressed together.</p>
<p>Halfway through the movie, the bluenette grabbed a blanket off the couch and draped it over them both. Chat smiled at her before shimmying down to curl up against her side. He hugged around her waist, resting his head on her hip where he could still see the TV screen. As if magnetic, her hand found his hair once again, fingers teasing the blonde strands and rubbing the soft spot on the back of his ear. His purring was near involuntary, eyelids drooping happily. “You can’t fall asleep,” Marinette’s voice was a soft, teasing whisper. He tipped his head back to look up at her with round, green eyes. “Don’t look at me like that,” She tsk’d, shaking her head, “you were the one who said you can’t stay overnight.” The black cat wrinkled his nose and hid his face against her side, muttering, “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”</p>
<p>“I know, Kitty,” She cooed, drawing her fingers down his cheek and scratching under his chin. He sat up, readjusting to lean with his head on her shoulder, face pressed to her neck and arms wrapped tightly around her middle. Something felt slightly different about this embrace, making Marinette blush as she hugged him back. It was like he didn’t want to let go; as if right there was where he wanted to be forever. His purring, while inaudible to Alya and Nino, was all the bluenette could hear. Her heart fluttered stupidly as she kissed the side of his head, drawing an adorable, feline-esque chirp from him. “Hey, Chat?” She whispered by his ear, making it twitch. He glanced up at her in question, eyes sweet and attentive. Biting her lip, Marinette quietly asked, “Are we… a thing?”</p>
<p>“Do you wanna call it that?” He easily returned, smiling widely. Under the blanket, his tail curled possessively around her ankle. Her heart thumped harder and she nodded definitively. His lips were warm on her cheek, careful not to prick her with his claws as he caressed under her chin, “Then we’re a thing.” It felt pretty good to say.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Colossus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>DISCLAIMER: Do not give your actual cats mint, please. Catnip/catmint and garden mint are very different plants. Mint can be toxic to your furry friends!</p>
<p>Love the domestic fluff we got going, but you know we gotta have an akuma fight in here somewhere. I was struck with two very good akuma villain ideas while I was sketching at 5 am. This one for sure had to make it in here; still debating on if the other one will make an appearance, as well. Concerning the cat brooch, tell me peridot isn’t the exact color of Chat Noir’s eyes. Find me a more fitting gem. Go on, I’ll wait.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette sat at Alya’s kitchen counter with a bowl of sugary cereal, mindlessly spooning bites into her mouth as she hummed to herself. She’d woken up that morning with the memory of Chat Noir bidding her adieu from the open window, the Parisian lights behind him shining off his leather costume and making his eyes appear far brighter than they should have. Or maybe that was just her imagination. Her whole body still felt weightless, recalling his voice and the movements of his lips that delivered her happiness, the ringing in her ears akin to the bell around his neck: <em>Then we’re a thing</em>. It was so simple, yet it was everything she’d ever wanted.</p>
<p>Alya and Nino hadn’t said much yet. It was early and they were all enjoying the sunrays in each other’s company. The window was still open – mostly because no one had bothered to close it. Marinette liked the possibility that Chat Noir could jump into the room at any point; even though, realistically, she knew he wouldn’t because he’d specified that if he came back, it would be in the afternoon. The fantasy was appealing, though.</p>
<p>Alya passed out mugs of tea as she and Nino joined Marinette at the counter. Nino was doing something on his phone as his girlfriend braved the quiet waters, “What do we want to do today?”</p>
<p>“Adrien’s got a photoshoot by the Seine,” Nino commented, “we could head that way and browse the shops.” The bluenette nodded with a smile, “That sounds good to me.” Alya agreed and they finished their breakfast before splitting up to get ready for the day. It was almost impressive that neither of her friends had said anything about the previous night yet, but Marinette knew that was too good to be true. She was on guard as they headed down the street, suspicious towards their normal behavior on the bus ride over; by the time they’d reached the Seine, the seamstress was on high alert.</p>
<p>The teasing could’ve come from anywhere. However, she didn’t expect the setup they obviously planned. As they were crossing the waterway, Adrien and his photographer were easily spotted a ways off. With him in sight, Marinette foolishly let her guard down when Nino pointed off to their right and said, “Hey, look! Chat Noir!” She turned on her heels, stumbling over the momentum and her own surprise. Alya caught her, but not before she’d realized Nino was referring to a poster in the window of a toy shop. “Ugh, come on, you guys,” Marinette huffed, righting herself as her friends laughed good-naturedly. “You didn’t really think we wouldn’t give you crap about last night, did you?” Alya nudged her arm, “what was all that ‘Princess’ and ‘Kitty’ business?”</p>
<p>“They’re just.. nicknames,” Marinette mumbled shyly, fighting a blush. “You mean pet names,” Nino snickered, putting an arm around Alya’s shoulders. The bluenette didn’t respond, grumbling under her breath as they continued on their way. Adrien waved when he spotted them, the photographer scolding him until he returned to posing. Marinette gazed into the store windows as they passed them, considering taking a closer look at some once Adrien joined them. She paused in front of a sweets shop that advertised made-to-order chocolates with custom shapes and flavors. If there was one thing she learned early on, it was that Chat Noir had a sweet tooth. And he kept bringing her presents, so maybe she should do the same for him every once in a while.</p>
<p>Alya leaned over her shoulder and asked, “Thinking of a special someone?” The bluenette smiled and rolled her eyes, “I was just thinking that Chat has brought me a gift every time he’s visited, and maybe he’d appreciate something in return.”</p>
<p>“He acts a lot more like a cat than I thought he would,” Her best friend commented. Marinette furrowed her brow and looked up, “What do you mean?” Alya shrugged, “He just has a lot of cat behaviors, that’s all. I mean, the purring, the tail thing, even him bringing you stuff. It’s common for cats to bring their favorite people gifts.”</p>
<p>“I-It is?” Marinette blushed, wondering what else he shared with a real cat. As Alya and Nino turned to sit on the edge of the Seine, the seamstress pulled out her phone to do some Googling. They waited there for Adrien, Nino making faces to break his buddy’s concentration and irritate the photographer. Across the water, Marinette noticed some people whispering and glancing at her. It had only been a couple days since the pier fiasco, so it wasn’t a surprise that the hype hadn’t completely blown over yet. She did her best to ignore them but did flash an awkward smile at one point.</p>
<p>Eventually, the photographer let out a dramatic sigh and waved Adrien off. He hurried to meet his friends, fist bumping Nino and settling down between him and Marinette; his bodyguard was parked nearby. The seamstress wasn’t exactly paying attention, ankles locked together and legs swinging in tandem as she read whatever was on her phone screen. “What are you reading?” Adrien asked, mildly startling her. The bluenette locked her phone, giving him a sheepish grin as she explained, “Just some hobby research. How was your photoshoot?”</p>
<p>“Boring,” He chuckled, “but not as long as usual.” It was a struggle not to lean over and nuzzle her or kiss her hand or even just make flirtatious inclinations with his eyes. Adrien wasn’t Marinette’s boyfriend; Chat Noir was Marinette’s boyfriend. Even if it made him a little sad right now, he would never trade the nights he’d spent with her so far just for a few minutes of daytime flirting. “How was your sleepover last night?” Adrien asked them collectively. Alya snickered, “I think we had fun. We made Chat Noir and Marinette play Just Dance and I’m pretty sure they almost kissed at the end.”</p>
<p>“Alya,” Marinette whined in that signature, long-suffering inflection, “we did not. It was just a hug.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, a near-face hug,” Nino contradicted, smirking as his girlfriend laughed. Adrien chuckled at the bluenette’s blush. She was trying to keep a scowl, but he spied a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Alya said, “Are we ready to shop, or what?” The other three nodded and they all got up in unison. Alya and Nino wanted to check some clothing shops first, talking about getting matching shirts for an upcoming music performance they were going to; shirts that would glow under blacklight. Adrien didn’t have anywhere he wanted to shop, and Marinette was still debating her sweets idea, so they stuck to following their friends around for an hour or two. Adrien’s bodyguard was never far behind them.</p>
<p>Only when they circled back to the candy store did Marinette pause. She glanced to her friends, “Would you guys give me a second?” They didn’t get much of a choice as she disappeared inside. One systematic choice later, she rejoined them on the sidewalk, holding a small box to her chest. “What’d you get yourself?” Alya asked, leaning as if she would be able to see inside. Marinette shrugged and half turned away, sticking her tongue out, “Wouldn’t you like to know? But they’re not for me.” Adrien wanted to ask who they were for, but he had an inkling and he didn’t want to seem too nosy. Alya and Nino seemed to be thinking the same thing because they exchanged amused smirks. The bluenette ignored them, marching ahead to avoid eye contact.</p>
<p>The sun was starting to dip behind the large buildings by the time the group made it back to their starting point. Marinette was getting antsy. Chat Noir had said afternoon, but they weren’t home; what if he showed up while they were gone? She was fourth wheeling by her own accord, staring off in the direction of Alya’s apartment and clutching the sweets box to her chest. Oblivious to any conversation, her mind was reeling with possibilities: what if Chat got there and thought they were avoiding him? What if he decided he couldn’t come back after all? What if something happened to him on his way home last night? What if-</p>
<p>“Marinette?” Nino put a gentle hand on her shoulder, stifling a laugh as she jolted in surprise. Alya and Adrien were also suppressing their amusement. Marinette blushed, blowing a strand of loose hair out of her face, “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Are you okay to head back now or was there something else you wanted to do?” Alya asked, even though the tone of her voice suggested she knew the answer. The seamstress hesitated to not seem too eager, then shook her head, “No, I’m good. We can head back.” Adrien smiled around at them, “Thanks for coming to meet me here.” Alya winked and hugged Nino’s arm, “As if we didn’t want to.” They bid him goodbye and watched as the model walked back to his bodyguard, who had the faintest hint of a smile on his face.</p>
<p>Marinette followed behind Alya and Nino as they headed for the bus stop. She glanced down at a tiny voice drawing her attention. “Psst, Marinette,” Tikki peaked at her from inside her purse, “can I try a chocolate?” The bluenette thought about saying no, but there was no harm in giving one up. She chuckled quietly, carefully picking one of the smaller treats and setting it in her purse, “Okay, but just one.” The kwami grinned happily, disappearing back into the small bag. Her friends were discussing their clothing choices once they found transportation. One of the stores had had a Ladybug and Chat Noir display with merchandise for all ages. It took a great deal of self-control for Marinette not to buy the hoodie with the dumb cat ears, but the decision not to was made easier by Alya and Nino’s teasing. Besides, people had still been looking at her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once back in Alya’s apartment, Marinette set her box on the counter and joined her friends on the couch. She kept glancing to the open window, even as she participated in the conversation about what they wanted for dinner. It was unanimously decided they would order pick-up, they just hadn’t decided what, and Marinette was reluctant to leave the apartment again until Chat Noir showed. She was starting to lose hope that he could make it when his boots clinked on the metal railing outside. “Kitty!” Marinette scrambled to her feet and met him in a hug as he slid in through the window. He huffed in surprise, chuckling as he hugged her back, “Hey. Sorry it’s a little later than I wanted, I wasn’t able to get away until now.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re fine,” Alya assured him, flapping her wrist dismissively, “we were just talking about dinner options. Have you eaten yet?” Earlier, Adrien had chosen to forgo his dinner in case they had snacks again. Chat was thankful for his quick thinking now, shaking his head with a smile, “Nope.” Nino was browsing different menus on his phone, “I’m just really feeling Thai, I think.” Marinette let go of Chat so they both could join the other two, watching Alya roll her eyes affectionately. “Alright,” The redhead sighed teasingly, “I’ll second Thai.”</p>
<p>Marinette shrugged, not minding where they went now that Chat was with them. The cat hero didn’t have any complaints, so Nino ordered for them. “They said we can pick it up in thirty minutes,” He smiled around at the group. Alya stood to retrieve her shoes and a jacket, reasoning, “We might as well start walking there.” The others agreed and made for the door. When they passed the counter, Chat paused and glanced at a small, gold box. He sniffed once, then twice more as he leaned over it, pupils dilating a little. Marinette wiggled herself between him and the counter, taking his hands to draw his attention away, “Not yet, Kitty, you’ll ruin your own surprise.” He blinked, following her obediently to catch up with Alya and Nino, “Surprise? For me?” She nodded, winking over her shoulder as she gripped his hand tightly.</p>
<p>As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Chat Noir put an arm around Marinette’s shoulders and said, “Oh, that reminds me.” He produced a small, plastic case from one of the side pockets on his suit, holding it in the palm of his hand. The bluenette looked down to it curiously, smiling at the label that distinguished it as a pack of sewing machine needles. “Very observant of you to notice the brand of my sewing machine,” She giggled, kissing his cheek as she tucked the small case into her purse. His chest puffed up proudly, tail flicking. “Hey, you better keep up or we’ll leave you behind,” Alya called back to them, snickering with Nino.</p>
<p>It was warmer that night. Alya had her jacket slung over her arm, gripping Nino’s hand and swinging them between the couple. Marinette was content with Chat Noir’s arm over her, their fingers laced together on her shoulder and steps near synchronized. There weren’t very many people walking the streets at this hour, but still enough that more pictures were being taken of them. Chat was ignoring it, probably because he was used to any kind of press. The bluenette was blushing, but she also didn’t mind.</p>
<p>They rounded a corner at a four-way intersection devoid of traffic, entering a subsection of the city that had a cluster of shops and restaurants abound. From across the street, an unfortunately familiar voice called, “Chat Noir!” All four of them paused, watching Chloe Bourgeois tap over the cross walk in outrageous heels, her personal butler in tow; he was weighed down with many shopping bags. Marinette squeezed Chat’s hand, her mouth pursed in a thin line and eyes narrowed. The hero squeezed back reassuringly even as he greeted, “Oh, hey, Chloe.”</p>
<p>“What are you doing out here just walking around?” Her tone was almost judgmental but also teasing, “and without Ladybug?” Marinette felt his arm tense around her as the end of his tail flicked nervously. He forced a chuckle out through a huff, “Well, Ladybug and I don’t really hang out outside of fighting akumas. My friends and I were just going to grab dinner.” The bluenette felt offended on his behalf; Ladybug wasn’t his keeper, why did he need her to be out doing things? Not to mention her own irritation that Chloe was blatantly ignoring her even though she was rather snuggly pressed to his side. Marinette snaked her free arm around his waist, the movement drawing a brief glance from Chloe, whose eyes narrowed just slightly. That reaction alone was very satisfying to Marinette.</p>
<p>Alya and Nino had backtracked to stand beside them, glancing to their seamstress friend with mild concern. “Friends, huh?” Chloe faced the other three – who she hadn’t acknowledged the existence of until then – with a strained smile, “That’s… cute. Although, if you’d rather keep more upscale company, you know you’re always welcome at my daddy’s hotel.” As Adrien, he would’ve brushed the comment off because that was just Chloe. They were friends and he knew she was a bully because of her need for acceptance from her parents, and the desire to be above her classmates. However, as Chat Noir, he was less of her friend. Even before hearing her talk trash about him in class, he knew Queen Bee liked Ladybug way better than him; he wasn’t blind.</p>
<p>Quirking an eyebrow, he almost sounded insulted as he parroted, “More <em>upscale </em>company? How do you get more upscale than this?” He smiled down to Marinette, then over at Alya and Nino, who looked very pleased with his comment. The bluenette swelled with satisfaction at Chloe’s surprised and irked expression. She leaned her head on Chat’s shoulder, turning her gaze up to him and batting her eyelashes. He bit his lip and blushed, momentarily distracted. That is, until Chloe spoke again, “Well, I just mean that regularly visiting above a sweaty bakery can’t be all that luxurious.”</p>
<p>“Are you kidding?” He didn’t hesitate to laugh, “it smells <em>amazing</em> up there. Besides, I, uh..” He chuckled as he looked down to the seamstress under his arm, his green eyes soft and adoring, “I don’t really care where we’re at, as long as my princess is with me.” He might as well have been holding pudding. The words sang in Marinette’s ears like an angelic choir, turning her body to mush and forcing a deep exhale from her lungs that almost came out in a swoon. If he hadn’t been holding her, she might have collapsed on the sidewalk. Chloe’s face wrinkled in disdain, which the bluenette noticed. Instead of getting angry, however, she gathered every ounce of courage she had, reached to cup Chat Noir’s cheeks, and kissed his nose with a sickeningly cooed, “Ohh, Kitty, that’s so sweet..”</p>
<p>At first, he looked utterly embarrassed, but then she was scratching behind his ear and he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He grinned and nuzzled her cheek, a loud purring accompanying the clumsy way his hands grabbed at her waist. Chloe looked shocked and wildly uncomfortable, shooting a glance towards Alya and Nino, who were smirking with amusement. “Uh, excuse me,” The spoiled blonde sneered loudly. Marinette almost reluctantly drew her hands away, clasping them behind her back and blinking at the mayor’s daughter with feigned innocence. Chat Noir had to compose himself, stifling the purring and clearing his throat. There was no fighting the blush that dusted beneath his mask, but he ignored it as he addressed Chloe once more, “Sorry. Anyway, um, it’s nice to see you, but we’d better get going. Our food should be ready for pick up soon, I think.”</p>
<p>Chloe stared at him, visible confusion painting her features. She glanced at Marinette, then to Alya and Nino, before decidedly blurting, “I thought you were in love with Ladybug.” Marinette usually didn’t like to think ill of people, but the way Chloe phrased it was very antagonistic. The black cat beside her sucked in a breath through his nose, ears twitching in what the bluenette recognized as irritation. “I had a crush on Ladybug,” He carefully admitted, glad that this was something he and Marinette talked about beforehand because this would have been <em>very awkward</em> otherwise, “but I’ve moved on. Marinette… she makes me happy. I feel like I can share everything with her. And, unlike Ladybug.. she likes me back.”</p>
<p>Marinette grasped his hand and squeezed it as if to confirm his statement, feeling a multitude of emotions well in the back of her throat. Chloe cocked an eyebrow and pointed a sharp finger in the seamstress’s direction, “But you have a crush on Adrien.” Alya and Nino stiffened, which was understandable considering they weren’t aware Chat already knew that. Marinette turned her head up to meet the green eyes of her kitten, mirroring the tender smile on his lips. “I used to,” She corrected, fingers finding a place between his. She held his gaze for a moment longer, then looked to Chloe and quipped, “Thanks for trying to cause a problem, though.”</p>
<p>There were a few bystanders keeping their distance but obviously watching what was going on. They whispered amongst themselves at Marinette’s statement. Alya strategically interjected before Chloe could cause a scene, “We really should be going. We’ve got dinner waiting.”</p>
<p>“Alya’s right,” Chat Noir agreed, stepping past Marinette between her and Chloe, “take care, Chloe.” The bluenette spared one last look at the mayor’s daughter before eagerly following her friends as they continued down the street. She had a bit more pep in her step now. “So,” The cat hero squeezed her hand to draw her attention, “what was that all about?” Marinette didn’t know what he was talking about at first, furrowing her brow and studying his mischievous smirk, “What?” He chuckled, “That, uh.. whole very public display of affection.” Her lips pursed as the seamstress glanced away, a pretty pink coloring her cheeks, “You started it.” That pulled a hearty laugh from Chat, a ‘mrow’ almost present in his highly amused tone, “I did not, I was just being honest. You’re the one who started it.” Marinette blew a strand of hair out of her face, avoiding eye contact as she shrugged in answer. She was acutely aware of his body heat as he leaned close to her, kissing her temple and mumbling, “Don’t worry, Princess. I get it.” She cursed the stutter that betrayed her bluff, “Wh-what’s to get?”</p>
<p>There was that chuckle again, only now his breath was tickling her ear and she could feel the acoustics of its low pitch rattle in her chest. Coupled with the words he spoke, she almost lost her breath, “You wanted Chloe to know that I’m yours.” Marinette was floored, shoulders hunched as she fumbled for a rebuttal that never came. Because- wasn’t that exactly what she had been thinking? Not that she felt threatened by Chloe; far from it. Chat Noir would never fall for someone like her. However, she did gain an infinitesimal amount of pure joy from Chloe’s displeasure over the fact that the cat hero would rather spend time above Marinette’s parent’s bakery than in her father’s flashy hotel. And <em>Marinette</em> was the reason for that.</p>
<p>There was also something about Chat admitting out loud that he was hers – her kitty – that made her insides squirm pleasantly. It had previously been implied, of course, but hearing him say it felt different somehow. She still hadn’t responded by the time they were nearing the Thai restaurant, Alya and Nino offering to go inside while the other two waited. “Marinette?” He was smiling at her patiently, a glint of amusement in his feline eyes. She tapped her fingers together nervously, scuffing her shoe on the ground as she mumbled, “You think it was too much..?” Chat laughed and shook his head, hugging the bluenette to his chest. He nuzzled her hair as he assured her, “No, I think it was perfect. You’re adorable.”</p>
<p>Unused to compliments and not knowing how to accept them gracefully, Marinette grumbled back defensively, “You’re one to talk.” He huffed a chuckle, matching her blush. They were stood on the sidewalk in front of the Thai restaurant with Marinette collected against Chat Noir’s chest, the height difference truly evident by the way they both had to crane their necks to make eye contact. It had been less than a week since she got herself into this mess and already she was losing count of how many times the world had fallen away from her; his eyes were just so easy to get lost in. The bluenette was vaguely aware of his arms tightening around her waist, her own hands finding a place on his chest. It felt like they might have been drifting closer, the agonizing anticipation in her gut mounting, when the restaurant door swung open and the sounds of the city came crashing down around them.</p>
<p>Marinette yelped in surprise as she jumped back a few feet. Chat looked just as confused as she felt to so forcefully re-enter reality. They both looked to Alya and Nino, who were standing in the doorway with takeout bags in their arms and their eyebrows meeting their hairlines. “Wow,” Alya said after a few seconds of tense silence, “do we need to leave you guys alone somewhere?”</p>
<p>“No,” The guilty pair denied in unison, glancing at each other, their faces flushing with color. Alya and Nino exchanged pursed-lip glances, then decided to shrug it off for now. “Come on, Lovebirds,” Nino teased, handing Marinette a bag when she gestured for him to. The seamstress fell in step with Chat Noir as they followed the other two back the way they came. They didn’t say anything else, but the frequent swapping of embarrassed smiles was conversation enough.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“I really liked her face when you called us upscale.”</p>
<p>They were sitting around Alya’s living room, the blanket nest from the night before still present. They had the bags of Thai unpacked and the boxes laid out in the center of them. Marinette was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, holding a bowl of noodles on her lap; Chat Noir was on the ground in front of her, stretched out with his ankles crossed as he skillfully shoveled dumpling after dumpling into his mouth. He had chopsticks, but occasionally he’d stab a claw into a fat little rice paper pocket and eat it that way. Marinette suspected it was fun for him. Nino was laughing as Alya recounted the run-in with Chloe from her perspective. They were both sitting on the floor, the redhead’s legs draped over Nino’s with a big plate of mixed cuisine they were sharing balanced between them. Chat Noir chuckled through a mouthful, “I mean, I couldn’t think of a nice way to say that I really didn’t want to go to that hotel.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t have to insult her by complimenting us,” Nino tossed a piece of beef in the hero’s direction, which Chat easily caught in his mouth. The black cat shrugged, setting his empty plate aside and licking his lips. Marinette was in the middle of slurping noodles when Alya said, “I think she was more insulted by Chat and Marinette making googly heart eyes at each other.” The bluenette sucked in a sharp breath and choked on her bite, drawing all three pairs of eyes as she coughed into her shirt. They waited for her to finish before Chat gave Alya a cheesy smile and wink, “Is there any other way I look at Marinette?”</p>
<p>She briefly wanted to die. Marinette’s eye twitched as Alya and Nino erupted in hysterical laughter, her stomach withering and taking her voice with it. Her gaze snapped downward as the black cat laid his head in her lap, eyes round and sweet. She forced a deep breath in and out of her lungs, shaking her head and petting his hair, unable to form a coherent thought, let alone a sentence. “That’s n-not fair,” She eventually pouted, flicking his ear. He quirked an eyebrow, “What’s not fair?”</p>
<p>“It’s so easy for you to just say that stuff and you know I’m not good at handling it,” The bluenette huffed, returning to her noodles but with suspicion now. Chat smirked devilishly, sitting up on his knees and leaning over her lap. His tail thumped the blankets as he swiped the end of her noodles with his chopsticks, slurping the same bite she had in some sort of coy recreation of a Disney movie. Marinette froze, glancing between his face and the noodles that connected them. Her eyes widened as his lips drew closer to hers, but then he bit off his portion and drew back to chew. He didn’t break eye contact with her even as he swallowed and licked his lips in satisfaction. “I have no idea what you mean,” He batted his eyelashes.</p>
<p>Spell broken, Marinette scoffed and shoved his face away playfully, “Yes you do, you dumb cat!” She was giggling despite herself, heart thumping in her chest. “You better behave,” She warned halfheartedly, waggling her finger in his face even as he grinned adoringly at her, “or you’re not getting your surprise.” He’d forgotten about the golden box on the counter, but at her mention of it, he glanced towards it curiously. Alya and Nino had been watching but were now ignoring them in favor of jokingly feeding each other. Marinette got up to retrieve the small box, Chat climbing onto the back of the couch where she’d been previously sitting. He perched there as she made to stand in front of him, finding the impatient swishing of his tail endearing.</p>
<p>“Close your eyes and open your mouth,” The seamstress instructed, popping the lid open towards herself so he couldn’t see inside. Chat gave her a quizzical smile, then rolled his eyes and obeyed, sticking his tongue out like a dork. Marinette hesitated a moment only because she hadn’t realized before that he had small feline fangs in place of normal canines. She stifled a giggle, picking one of the heart-shaped chocolates to set on his tongue. As he chewed, his eyes popped open, vertical pupils dilated to cover nearly all of his iris. He stared at nothing, licking around his teeth, purring loudly between them. “Where did you get that?” He eventually asked, leaning forward to sniff at the box. He almost fell off the back of the couch in the process, only held up by Marinette pushing him back with a laugh. “We went shopping today,” She explained, “there was a sweets shop doing custom flavored chocolates.. I read that mint is a similar plant to catnip, so I thought you’d like it.”</p>
<p>“Mint?” Chat Noir blinked at her, amazed. Mint wasn’t a flavor he was ever super excited over, but then again, he’d only ever eaten it as Adrien. It definitely made him excited now. His purring hadn’t lessened any, and only seemed to increase in volume and urgency when the bluenette offered him a second chocolate. She kissed his forehead as he ate it, ruffling his hair. “Thank you, Purrincess,” Chat nuzzled her neck, the pun earning him a tolerant eyeroll. “You’re welcome, Kitty,” She scratched under his chin, moving closer to the couch to better support him, “I just wanted to thank you for the gifts you bring me.”</p>
<p>They were doing that thing again where all they could focus on was each other when Alya groaned loudly and teased, “Get a room, you two, geez.” Marinette rubbed her neck and laughed nervously, but Chat Noir still only had eyes for her. She moved around the couch to sit next to him, the gold box open on her lap. The black cat settled on his knees beside her, his whole being feeling warm and fuzzy. He glanced to her before taking another chocolate and enjoying it, too; his eyes fell closed, ears drooped forward and tail curling pleasantly around her calf. Filled with fondness for this silly cat, Marinette reached up to rub his ear, unsurprised when he leaned into her.</p>
<p>She caught Alya’s expression out of the corner of her eye, glancing to her. Both the redhead and her boyfriend were looking at Marinette with pleased grins; not teasing, like she expected, but… proud.</p>
<p>The atmosphere was starting to feel heavy. It was obvious they were all getting tired, but Nino insisted they at least get one movie in before bed. Marinette was starting to dread Chat having to leave, though she knew it would be foolish for him to stay overnight. As Alya and Nino were setting up the film, she looked to her kitty only to see him looking back at her apologetically. “What?” She asked, pretending like she didn’t know. He sighed and tucked a phantom strand of hair behind her ear, “I think it’s time for me to go home.” The bluenette sighed dramatically, leaning into him and hugging around his chest, “Do you have to?” She knew he did. “You know I do,” He sighed.</p>
<p>“Fiiiiine,” Marinette sat up, going with him to the window that had been permanently open all weekend. He hopped onto the railing, the gold box of chocolates tucked under his arm. “Don’t be a stranger!” Alya yelled at him from the couch, Nino laughing and waving with her. He grinned and waved back, “Of course not. Thanks for having me at your place.” Marinette was pouting, fidgeting with her fingers. Chat Noir tipped her chin up to look at him, kissing her forehead sweetly, “Don’t look like that, Princess. I’ll see you at your place tomorrow night, right?” She nodded begrudgingly, leaning into the brief contact. Before he could leave, she hugged around his neck and planted a fat kiss on the corner of his mouth, muttering, “See you tomorrow, Kitty…”</p>
<p>He stammered for a moment, heat traveling up his spine and words failing him as he giggled stupidly. When he was able to speak again, he cocked an eyebrow at her and accused, “See, you do it, too.” The seamstress bit her lip, cheeks aching from her grin. She shrugged as if she didn’t know exactly what he meant. It took every ounce of effort he had to finally leave her, bounding over the rooftops with his head in the clouds. As Marinette rejoined the other two, Alya poked her side and snickered, “You’ve got it bad, girl.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Marinette practically swooned, sinking into the couch cushions with the ghost of Chat Noir’s warmth on her lips.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She floated through the next two days. It didn’t feel like she was in her own body; it felt like she was watching someone else pilot her. She’d barely heard Tikki’s teasing comments, was too dazed to notice or care about Chloe’s fuming glares in class, and was barely able to participate in any conversation between her friends. Sunday had been long and boring. Nora brought the twins back and kicked Nino and Marinette out for family time. They walked together as far as they could before Nino had to split off for his house. Marinette’s parents wouldn’t be home until the next morning, so she was left by herself to replay the last two nights over and over in her mind</p>
<p>The last two incredible nights.</p>
<p>Sunday night, Chat Noir hadn’t been able to stay long. He dropped by for half an hour to explain he had things to do and couldn’t find an excuse to get out of them; and to make sure she got her nightly present. The pineapple pincushion was lovingly placed on her desk now. Class on Monday didn’t feel real. While it was happening, it was the longest day of Marinette’s life, but once it was over, it felt like only a few minutes had passed. Alya and Nino had made plenty of comments, filling in Adrien on some of the juicier details of their big sleepover. He seemed highly amused by their retelling.</p>
<p>Of course, the pictures and videos taken from their interaction with Chloe were popping up everywhere. There was some speculation that Queen Bee was jealous of Marinette, and some (more accurate) theories that Chloe just hated her. However, most people seemed to be in support of her and Chat Noir. Of course, there were girls (and some guys) who disliked them together simply because they had crushes on the cat hero, but she wasn’t fazed by that. It was hard to care about other people’s approval when it was so easy to forget anyone but Chat Noir existed; especially when he smiled at her like she was his whole world.</p>
<p>Monday night, Marinette was at her sewing machine humming to herself. Over dinner, her parents had excitedly shared stories from whatever conference it was they went to. Since they’d been out of town, they weren’t yet privy to the extent of the developing relationship between their daughter and a hero of Paris, which meant she didn’t have to endure any weird questions. Yet. She’d update them eventually. For now, she was content to let them think the night on the pier was a one-time thing.</p>
<p>A one-time thing that scratched on her roof every night.</p>
<p>Marinette hadn’t said anything to him, but she thought Chat Noir might have picked up that she liked the scratching he did instead of knocking. It made something flutter in her chest. This time was no exception. She’d been listening for it, so she heard it even over the sound of her sewing machine. There was no hesitation in her pushing away from her desk and ascending towards the trapdoor, a wide grin on her face. The black cat was leaned back against her railing, tossing something in his hand with his ankles crossed and a mischievous smile on his face. Marinette didn’t say anything until they were wrapped in each other’s arms, the cool night air billowing around them.</p>
<p>“Hey, Princess,” He practically purred in her ear, making the hair stand up on the back of her neck. “Hi, Kitty,” She returned easily, leaning back just enough so she could look up at him. They breathed each other in for a moment, then Chat cleared his throat and ducked his head shyly, “What I brought you tonight is... slightly more personal than the other gifts.” Marinette cocked her head with interest, brushing her hand through his hair reassuringly, “I love everything you bring me.” He gave a small, appreciative purr, then held his hand up between them. Resting on his palm was a small, silver hair brooch embossed with the ribbony outline of a standing cat. It had gem-studded eyes of peridot green and a brass-stained bell around its neck.</p>
<p>Marinette stared at it for what felt like years. Chat Noir was visibly nervous; fidgeting with his free hand and shifting his feet as he waited for her reaction. She tried to fight the emotional lump in her throat, but her eyes were suddenly wet, and words were evading her. The seamstress raised her head to meet his expectant gaze, the tears in her eyes a surprise that made him catch his breath. “This is too specific for you to have just found somewhere,” She was shocked at the level of her own voice; even and stutter-free. Chat bit his lip, running his fingers over the piece of jewelry and nodding his head, “You’d be right, yeah.”</p>
<p>It’d been a chore to get his bodyguard to agree to take him to the bench jewelers without his father finding out; even more of a hassle to tell the jewelry maker exactly what he wanted without having to explain why. The guy was older and asked a lot of unfortunate questions, like whether or not it was for a girl and why it had to look so much like Chat Noir. It was totally worth it for the way Marinette was looking at him. She gave her a head a little shake, still struggling to express what she was feeling about this. “Kitty..” She rubbed her fingers on his wrist, near the brooch but not close enough to touch it, “I don’t.. kn-know what to say..”</p>
<p>With a loving kiss to her forehead, the black cat clipped the brooch just above one of her pigtails, “You don’t have to say anything. I just thought you’d like to have me with you during the day.” A grin was pulling at his cheeks, glad she liked it so much. Marinette huffed and shook her head, squeezing him tightly, “Thank you…”</p>
<p>“I have one more surprise,” The black cat informed her, twirling one of her pigtails around his finger. She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head in silent question. Chat bit his lip, then glanced out over the rooftops around them, “I want to make up for not being able to stay last night.” The bluenette rolled her eyes, “Kitty, that’s gonna happen sometimes. I also will probably be unavailable some nights, it’s not a problem.” His claws just barely grazed under her chin, drawing goosebumps over her entire body. “Yeah, I know,” He shrugged, “call it an excuse to take you on somewhat of a real date.” Her curiosity was immediately piqued, and it must have shown on her face because he laughed heartily.</p>
<p>Without warning, he scooped her off her feet and kissed her forehead, “Close your eyes, okay? No peaking.” Marinette rolled her eyes once again but did as he asked, giggling. She felt them take off, something exhilarating about trusting her life to this goofball in a leather cat suit. They weren’t traveling for very long when her feet touched the ground again. “Okay, you can look,” Chat’s voice was playful in her ear. They were standing in the park not far from her house, the streetlights and carousel powered off for the night. “What did you do, run us in a circle so I wouldn’t guess where we were going?” She teased because there was no way it took them even that long to get there. He winked.</p>
<p>The night was cool but warm enough she didn’t need a jacket, although without lights the park was a lot more unsettling. Of course, she wasn’t worried with Chat Noir beside her. “Come on, watch this,” He led her over to the carousel, but instead of sitting her on a horse, he vaulted them onto the roof and gestured for her to wait there. Then he disappeared over the side. Marinette could barely see him kneeling behind the control podium if she stretched her neck up high enough. Suddenly, the ride beneath her lurched and she wobbled a little, sitting down against the big ornament in the center. The colorful lights flickered on and carnival music started as the horses began their loop. Marinette laughed gleefully as she roof slowly spun, giving her a panoramic view of the park and surrounding neighborhood.</p>
<p>Chat Noir joined her with a wide grin on his face. “How did you get the keys?” The seamstress asked as the black cat sat beside her. “What do I need keys for?” He teased, wiggling his eyebrows and flexing his claws for her to see. They giggled stupidly, leaned together under a pivoting sky with their fingers tangled and hearts pounding. The shiny finish on Chat Noir’s suit reflected a myriad of colors around them. Marinette could only hope he thought her eyes looked as enchanting as his did. The absurdity of their pining make her chuckle, “Hey.. how many times have we almost kissed now? Three?”</p>
<p>“Four,” The cat hero quietly corrected her, “but, uh.. who’s counting?” They blushed simultaneously, glancing away to compose themselves. “Marinette,” Chat eventually drew her attention, scooting closer until they were snuggly huddled together, “I’m not, uh.. super great at emotions. Social skills aren’t really my thing. But I try to be honest when I can, it’s just that.. I can’t think of any coherent way to say how I feel about you.” Marinette was never one to accept compliments with any sort of grace, and this was no different. Even though he hadn’t specified anything, the sentiment was enough to make her blush and stammer, struggling to answer him. “W-Well, I.. I mean, th-that’s fine, because-.. I-I’m not good at hearing that stuff..” She tried to explain, tracing her finger absentmindedly over a seam on his shoulder, “it.. makes m-me flustered, so.. y-you don’t h-have to say more than that..”</p>
<p>His smile was adoring and grateful. Even that was bordering on too much for her to handle, but she quickly shifted the focus by blurting, “I feel the same, though! You should… you should hear that..” Chat sucked in a breath and let it out in a nervous chuckle, “I know..” That feeling in her gut was rising again the longer they stared at each other, only this time they were alone and they both knew it. Marinette’s breath was shallow. Chat Noir was leaning into her and her fingers were encouragingly kneading his hair. Everything was warm and suddenly quiet, the only sound important to her being his purring. They were barely a hair’s breadth apart when the black cat’s ear twitched and he froze. His eyes narrowed from their relaxed contentment to something hard and concentrated. He leaned back, looking off at nothing with his ears swiveling.</p>
<p>Marinette sat up a little, caution rising because something was obviously bothering him. “What’s wrong?” She asked, her own senses on high alert now. When he spoke, his voice was low and calculated, “I hear.. something. I can’t be sure, but it sounds like-“</p>
<p>The ground shook, the carousel creaking with the tremor. Their eyes locked and widened. That was when Marinette heard the screams, and a second later the akuma siren blared loud and clear over the marry-go-round’s cheery tempo. They quickly returned to ground level, watching as what Marinette could only describe as a walking construction yard slowly towered into view above the apartment buildings. Its face was contorted in anger, steel-rod-teeth bared as it roared and crashed down the street. Its body was an amalgamation of concrete slabs, barbed wire, and support pillars; its feet made of uprooted sidewalk. Instead of hands, there were two, great I-beams protruding from its wrists. The monster swung them down hard on the asphalt, creating a long gash in the earth that flipped vehicles and tumbled light posts.</p>
<p>“That’s the biggest villain I’ve ever seen,” Marinette couldn’t stop herself from marveling, barely registering when Chat Noir grabbed her wrist and yanked her down the street. Only when her gaze was forced elsewhere did the situation sink in. Their feet pounded on the sidewalk, the akuma’s bellowing seeming to come from everywhere at once. The cat hero dragged her down into a subway station and shoved her to keep running, “Go all the way down to the end, don’t stop!” His voice was urgent, commanding, and for a second, she forgot that she was also needed in this fight. “Be careful, Chat!” She panted, lungs heaving. “I’ll be fine!” He assured her without looking back, “Ladybug will be here soon!”</p>
<p>Once he was out of sight, Tikki zipped out of her purse with energy that bordered on excitement. “I knew the weekend was too quiet,” Marinette sighed, sharing a crooked smile with her kwami. She hadn’t transformed for a while, so relished this opportunity to do so. “Tikki!” The stance she held was definitely overdone, “Spots on!”</p>
<p>Ladybug zipped over the rooftops, following the sounds of destruction and the heavy silhouette of the akuma villain. It had strayed farther down the street towards where Chat and Marinette had run off, but the cat hero was currently distracting it by running around its feet and dodging the swings of its I-beams. “Started without me?” Ladybug landed beside her partner just as he dodged another strike. He grinned at her entrance, teasing, “Just getting warmed up, My Lady! Nice of you to join us.”</p>
<p>“As if I’d let you have all the fun,” She teased back, pushing him aside and back flipping out of the way as the akuma’s foot crashed down between them. They retreated a safe distance, balanced on a stoplight. “What’s the plan, LB?” Chat Noir inquired, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was watching the akuma as it lumbered down the street; his shoulders were tense and his tail lashed impatiently. Ladybug squinted at the giant villain, “I can’t even begin to guess where the akuma would be. Right now, the plan is to lead it somewhere there aren’t so many buildings and people.” The cat hero nodded and leapt down to take off after the walking skyscraper.</p>
<p>Ladybug followed him from above, calculating with her eyes how exactly they could fight this enormous monstrosity; and without casualties. It didn’t seem to be looking for anyone or anything in particular, but then again it wasn’t really talking. The villain thrashed about and howled but no coherent words ever escaped it. This wasn’t giving her much to go on.</p>
<p>Chat reached it first, dodging a swipe and bounding around its feet to get its irritated attention. The monster almost turned to follow him, but Ladybug misjudged her next swing and came too close to its face. The akuma focused on her instead, the opposite direction Chat had been trying to lead it. Its massive arm came up and caught her yo-yo string, jerking her upward. She yelped and reeled the yo-yo in, managing to hook a nearby street sign and break her fall before she hit the ground. Still, she was momentarily dazed, shaking her head to clear it. “Ladybug, move!” Her partner’s voice snapped her gaze up just in time to see the I-beam slamming towards her. She clumsily dove out of the way, rolling painfully on the ground and clipping her head against the curb. The asphalt gave a great creak as the giant I-beam pierced it, collapsing the entrance of a subway station.</p>
<p>The subway station Marinette was supposed to be hiding in.</p>
<p>Above the akuma’s booming footsteps, above the ringing in her ears and the screech of metal on asphalt, Ladybug distinctly heard her fellow superhero screaming. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but he was suddenly crouched in front of the colossus with his staff drawn, his tail whipping against the ground behind him and cat ears flattened against his head. Even from this distance, she could see his pupils were contracted to thin slits and his fangs were bared menacingly. She’d never seen that; he was angry.</p>
<p>The appearance of a news helicopter overhead didn’t help the confusing cacophony of sound clouding Ladybug’s senses. One moment, the world stood still as Chat Noir faced down this sentient debris pile, the fury on his normally kind features making her wonder if he wasn’t the threat in this situation; the next, everything was moving too fast. Distracted by the helicopter, the akuma villain turned away from her. Chat Noir rushed to help her up, a little hastily. “Are you alright?” He almost demanded, clearly still upset about something. Ladybug nodded slowly but she wasn’t sure. Her head and side hurt, her thoughts fuzzy. “Use your lucky charm,” The black cat instructed her, hurrying them out of the way as the akuma’s feet started moving again. “Wh-What?” The bug hero blinked at him, wondering exactly what he thought that would do.</p>
<p>“Your lucky charm, Ladybug!” He gripped her shoulders and gave her an impatient shake. She nodded rapidly, stepping away from him to toss her yo-yo in the air and callout her lucky charm. A red and black-spotted crowbar landed in her waiting hands. She looked confused, but it was short lived, as Chat snagged the object away from her and took off after the monster again. “Chat, wait!” She tried to keep up with him, but her head was still pounding, “we don’t know where the akuma is!”</p>
<p>“I do!” He hissed back at her. As she watched him out sprint her, she paused to take in the destruction around her. She stared at the collapsed subway tunnel like it should mean something, and then it clicked; Chat didn’t know Marinette wasn’t still in there. Ladybug’s eyes widened at nothing and she forced herself to focus, hurrying to rejoin the fight once more.</p>
<p>The giant had made it back to the carousel, kicking cars around and crashing its weight into buildings. “Hey, ugly!” Chat Noir yelled to draw its attention, tossing a chunk of cement in the air and giving it a good whack with the crowbar. The projectile shattered against the side of the monster’s head. It let out an angry roar, thrusting an I-beam in his direction with murderous intent. Ladybug came upon the scene just in time to see the black cat leap into the air and land on the metal meant to crush him. He scaled the akuma’s arm, his claws scraping against metal and concrete as it tried to shake him off. As he neared the face, he put the crowbar between his teeth and extended his staff, swinging it in a wide arc and launching off the villain’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Ladybug wouldn’t have believed this was happening if she wasn’t witnessing it with her own eyes. A thunderous smack sounded as Chat’s staff met the akuma’s jaw, sending it reeling against the nearest apartment building. With the villain briefly stunned, the black cat switched back to the crowbar and made for the crack in its forehead. Prying out a broken cinderblock, he retrieved what looked like a construction hat. Ladybug stared in amazement as he descended the monster’s great height, smashing the hard hat on the ground and letting an inconspicuous, black butterfly escape.</p>
<p>She rushed to capture it, but before she had a chance, her partner called his cataclysm and snatched the offensive pest out of the air. It crumpled into ash and sifted through his closed fist, disappearing on the breeze. There was silence again as the akuma victim returned to normal; a very confused man in a construction uniform rubbing his head. Ladybug was stunned as Chat Noir approached her, holding the crowbar out expectantly. His pupils weren’t as thin anymore and his ears were no longer flat, but he still looked upset and like he might have been barely holding it together. She carefully took the crowbar, then tossed it up and watched in satisfaction as the destruction and damage was repaired and reverted to normal.</p>
<p>“Chat-“ She started to say, but stopped when she realized he wasn’t there. <em>He must be running back to the subway</em>, a voice in her head reasoned. She needed to get there before him. Even though it was the dead of night, there were still some onlookers staring at her for an explanation. No doubt, they were just as surprised as she was to witness Chat Noir take on a massive akuma almost completely by himself. But she didn’t have time to answer their questions, and just as she was thinking of an excuse to evade the press, her earrings gave their first beep. “Uh, gotta go!” She gave the crowd a dismissive wave, “bug out!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Pawsitively Scandalous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is fun. I’m having fun. I hope you all are having fun, too. I rewrote the summary because this has become something else entirely.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Marinette!” Chat Noir’s panick-stricken voice echoed off the subway walls. As soon as ladybug had the crowbar back, he’d taken off at a full sprint. The full battle hadn’t really settled in his mind quite yet; all he was concerned about was Marinette’s safety.</p>
<p>He’d been trying to lead the monster away, but he couldn’t blame Ladybug for it following her instead. She hadn’t known, after all. That didn’t stop his anger as he watched the villain’s massive I-beam obliterate the subway entrance. He felt like he’d watched it in slow motion, blood boiling and jaw clenching with fury. Putting himself between the threat and his princess was an instinct, though staring down the great beast had the fortunate consequence of catching sight of the crack in its forehead with the faintest glimpse of a yellow hard hat underneath.</p>
<p>He didn’t know the lucky charm would supply a crowbar. Perhaps it really was simply luck; he knew Ladybug’s power worked in mysterious ways. His muscles ached from climbing the villain while it thrashed about, his arms and legs protesting the marathon-determined way he was booking it now. The swing he’d taken at the akuma hadn’t been as smooth as he imagined it looked, either; it was jarring to his bones and joints. He was pretty sure he’d bitten his tongue at some point because his mouth tasted like iron now. Or maybe that was the film developing in the back of his throat.</p>
<p>“Marinette!” He called again, voice cracking with desperation. The subway wasn’t empty. People were still huddled against the walls or hiding behind support pillars. Their eyes followed him down the tunnel. “Chat Noir!” The sound of his name had him skidding to a halt. He whipped around to see Marinette wiggling her way out from behind a large sign. Under his breath, he wheezed, “Oh, Mari..” before rushing to encase her protectively in his arms. She huffed in surprise but matched his intensity as she clung to him.</p>
<p>It was a miracle she’d made it back before him, really. And without drawing attention to herself. Her head still hurt and her mind was still processing what happened, but at least they were both safe. “Chat, you’re shaking,” She noticed worriedly, feeling his muscles tremble and hearing his lungs struggle to suck in air. His head shook dismissively, but even that motion looked weak, “Tough fight. I’m okay.. I was so worried about you.”</p>
<p>“I-.. I’m fine,” Marinette eyed him with growing concern. As the adrenaline wore off, he seemed to grow increasingly more tired. Was he swaying or was that her? “Maybe you should sit down,” The bluenette suggested, glancing around for a nearby bench. Before she could lead him anywhere, his legs wobbled and he leaned heavily against her. When he licked his lips, his tongue was bright red. “Are you bleeding?” She balked in alarm. “Bit my tongue,” Was his slurred reply, eyes heavy but never leaving hers. Glancing around, Marinette noted the gathering crowd.</p>
<p>When his ring beeped for the first time, her anxiety peaked. He straightened himself with some effort, wincing, “I think I need a nap..”</p>
<p>“This really isn’t the place for that,” Marinette glanced to his ring then back at his face. She wasn’t super comfortable letting him go when he looked like he might pass out at any second. The last thing they needed was for him to lose consciousness somewhere public and transform back. But her place wasn’t far away. Her parents were going to have some questions.</p>
<p>Looping his arm around her shoulders, the seamstress took most of his weight, “You’re gonna have to help me out here, okay? We’re gonna go back to my house.” Chat’s brow furrowed as they started walking, Marinette trying to set a brisk pace without pushing him too much. “Is that.. a good idea?” He asked skeptically, almost tripping over his own feet several times. The bluenette didn’t answer him until they were out in the night air, the bakery visible from where they were down the street. “No, but it’s the best one I can think of,” she admitted, “you trust me, right?” He didn’t hesitate to nod.</p>
<p>The door was locked when she tried it. With a groan, Marinette pounded on the glass, “Mom! Dad! Open the door, please!” She knew the akuma would’ve woken them up, and they were probably glued to the TV. It didn’t take long for them both to come rushing down the stairs. “Marinette?” Sabine was the first to reach them, hastily unlocking the door and throwing it open, “What in the world are you doing out there?”</p>
<p>“Sorry, Mom, I don’t really have time to explain!” She shimmied past, practically dragging the cat hero after her. “Chat Noir?” Tom Appeared in the doorway, expression just as confused as his wife’s. To his credit, the black cat did give them a gentle wave. But Marinette was in full medic mode, only spurred further when his ring beeped again. “Give me two minutes and I’ll be back down!” She called over her shoulder, forcing him up the ladder in front of her. “Ouch,” He hissed weakly when his head hit the trapdoor. “Sorry,” The seamstress mumbled, reaching up past him to open it. Her parents stood in the hallway and stared even after they disappeared.</p>
<p>Once safely inside her room, Marinette sat Chat Noir on her chaise lounge. He collapsed on his side, sighing out in relief as his eyes drooped. “Hold on, hold on,” She said mostly to herself, finding a half empty bottle of water and setting it on the ground beside him, then throwing a blanket over his limp form. A third beep. With a deep breath, the bluenette forced herself to calm down and instructed him quietly, “Okay. You’re safe here. Just.. get some rest and come down when you’re ready.” As she made to leave, Chat grabbed her wrist and lifted his right hand shakily, “Camembert.”</p>
<p>Marinette blinked, glancing between his face and his hand uncomprehendingly, “… huh?”</p>
<p>“He needs camembert..” The black cat sighed, dropping her wrist and pointing to his ring, down to two paw pads. It took a stupid number of seconds for Marinette to understand he was talking about his kwami. She gave an almost hysterical chuckle, “Okay.. I’ll bring some up.” He nodded, closing his eyes and relaxing into the cushions.</p>
<p>Tom and Sabine were still waiting in the hall when Marinette descended, avoiding eye contact with them. They followed her into the kitchen where she proceeded to rifle through cabinet after cabinet looking for what Chat Noir’s kwami apparently ate. With a slice of camembert on a small plate, she turned, only to be blocked by her parents standing in the way. Her shoulders slouched. “Are you going to explain?” Her dad tapped his fingers on his bicep, arms crossed. The seamstress opened and closed her mouth as she searched for the right words. “I don’t know where to start,” She eventually confessed.</p>
<p>“How about you start with why you were just at the front door and not in your room?” Her mom raised an eyebrow, clearly the more irritated of the two. Marinette swallowed thickly, shuffling her feet and staring down at the cheese she was holding, “I was.. on a date..” Her parents glanced to each other in surprise. “With who?” Tom tried to sound demanding, but it came out more excited than anything. Bluebell eyes glanced up at the ceiling, then back down at her cheese plate. Sabine relaxed her shoulders only a little, “But you told us you were just friends.”</p>
<p>Slipping between them, Marinette backed towards her ladder, “We <em>were</em> just friends! But then.. I don’t know, it kinda just happened..” She was too afraid to actually enter the room again, scared Chat had changed back and she would spoil his identity. Instead, she slid the plate of cheese into the room and shut the trapdoor, then rejoined her parents on the ground. She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment, waiting for their scolding that it was a school night and she should know better. When they didn’t say anything, she raised her head quizzically.</p>
<p>Tom and Sabine were looking at each other, deliberating with their eyes. “You’re still making it to school on time?” Her dad eventually asked. Sabine gave him a look but didn’t add anything. Marinette nodded fervently, “I am, I promise. It’s just, you know, not like he can visit during the day…” The three of them stood in silence for a minute, then Sabine set a hand on Marinette’s shoulder and expressed with a small amount of disappointment, “I’m just glad you’re safe, after what happened tonight.” The seamstress bowed her head and rubbed her arm, “Yeah.. I’m sorry. I mean, it’s not like I knew there’d be an akuma..”</p>
<p>“<em>That </em>makes me thankful Chat Noir was with you, too,” Tom put in, glancing towards the ladder at the end of the hall. Sabine followed his gaze, pursing her lips, “Speaking of.. is he okay? I mean, after taking on that akuma like that, I’m not surprised he looked so tired.” Even though Ladybug saw what happened, Marinette technically did not, and she needed to keep up that act until she was shown. She tipped her head, furrowing her brow, “He said it was a tough fight, but.. what happened?” Her parents glanced at each other, then led the way to the living room where the television was still playing the news.</p>
<p>Nadja Chamack was standing in front of a large screen reviewing footage of the attack, both from the news helicopter and what people had posted on social media so far. Seeing it for the second time was no less astounding than the first. Chat Noir’s staff colliding with the villain’s jaw was grating on her ears, impressive chunks of concrete flying free from its face. The black cat’s anger was palpable even through the screen. Marinette worried about the flush of emotions he must have ben feeling; she couldn’t imagine what she’d do if she thought the worst happened to him, now that he meant so much to her. Her hand was over her mouth, brow furrowed, eyes locked on the floor.</p>
<p>“Marinette?” Sabine brushed her arm gently. The bluenette didn’t want to say it because she was worried about upsetting her parents. But she took a breath and forced herself to, anyway, “I.. I was in that subway. That’s where I was hiding.. that’s why he-…” She glanced back at the TV as Nadya expressed gratitude on the behalf of all Parisians for Chat Noir and Ladybug’s protection. “Oh my god,” Tom moved to hug her, no doubt struck with fear at knowing she was that close to the danger. Sabine was no better, shaking her head and wrapping them both in her arms. “I’m sorry,” Marinette reiterated, squeezing where she could, to assure them she was okay, “I’m totally fine, though. I wasn’t near the entrance.”</p>
<p>“Well, I’d personally like to thank Chat Noir for protecting my little girl,” Tom stated definitively, turning for the hallway. Marinette grabbed his arm, “Wait! He might not be transformed anymore.” Her parents shared matching, surprised expressions, as if they hadn’t thought of that. “After he comes down, then,” Sabine smiled, squeezing her husband’s shoulder. He nodded in acceptance.</p>
<p>The news had moved on to more mundane reruns of stuff from the week before, merely background noise at that point. Marinette was pacing behind the couch chewing her fingernails as her parents chatted quietly between themselves. It was well past two in the morning by the time the stairs creaked with Chat Noir’s weight. Tom and Sabine turned their heads as he stood at the foot of the staircase, looking sheepishly down at the floor. Marinette only hesitated for half a second before she couldn’t help herself; she threw her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest, letting out a shaky sigh, “You scared me, you dumb cat.”</p>
<p>“M’sorry,” The black cat mumbled against her hair, rubbing her back reassuringly. He was acutely aware of her parents watching them, but she didn’t seem to care yet. Or maybe she hadn’t noticed. Only when her dad cleared his throat did they break apart, the bluenette rubbing her right eye. Chat shifted his weight awkwardly, tapping his fingers together, “Um.. I’m sorry for invading your home like this. I know it’s really late and as a superhero I should be more professional-“</p>
<p>“Honey, what are you talking about?” Sabine had a genuinely amused look on her face as she stood from the couch. Tom followed her so they both stood in front of the cat hero with thankful smiles. Chat Noir was confused until Tom put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Thank you for protecting our daughter.”</p>
<p>The black cat blinked, then let out a low puff of air and smiled, “Oh, that’s not something you need to thank me for. I mean- you’re welcome, of course, but.. I would never let anything happen to Marinette.” The seamstress in question was blushing, grinning at Chat Noir fondly. She could tell there was a lot more behind that statement he <em>could</em> add but didn’t for her embarrassment’s sake. “You should be thinking about your own safety, too, you know,” She scolded lightly, hands on her hips, “or at least let Ladybug help you next time.” He chuckled guiltily, shrugging his shoulders, “You’re right. I just… I knew what needed to be done, I guess.”</p>
<p>Marinette’s parents moved around them towards the stairs, Sabine saying over the railing, “Well, you’re welcome here whenever you need. Although next time let’s hope it’s under better circumstances.” She winked and Chat dipped his head gratefully.</p>
<p>They were alone in the living room now. It was eerily quiet even though the TV was still on. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Marinette asked as she sat down on the couch. The black cat joined her with a nod of his head, “I’m alright now. I maybe overdid it, is all. After a full night’s sleep, I’ll be perfectly fine.” The bluenette shook her head, sidling up next to him and hugging him tightly. He returned her embrace with a deep exhale. His grip suggested he was still shaken, which was understandable considering the intense emotions he’d been feeling just a couple hours ago. “Hey,” Marinette raised her head, cupping his cheeks and thumbing under his eyes, “I’m okay, too. Thanks to you.”</p>
<p>He made a strangled noise like a whimper, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch. The bluenette bit her lip, pressing their foreheads together and soothingly running her fingers through his hair. After a few minutes of listening to his gentle purring and feeling his shoulders relax, she tsk’d under her breath and said, “You know, five is kind of a high number of almost kisses.” Chat had to stifle his sudden laugh, rubbing his neck, “It’s probably my bad luck.” Marinette raised an eyebrow, smirking lightly as she leaned into his space and offered, “I could be lucky enough for both of us.”</p>
<p>His eyes widened, briefly flicking down to her lips as his cheeks colored red. Her hands were still in his hair. “Kitty?” Her breath was warm on his face. He couldn’t form words, grunting in response that he’d heard her. She giggled, sending a shiver down his spine with a whisper of, “Is that okay?” Nodding was reflexive, as well as the way his pupils expanded when she leaned closer. When their lips finally met, it was like breathing fresh air for the first time. Chat Noir’s ears strained forward, his tail thumping against the front of the couch. Marinette’s hands were pleasantly kneading the backs of his ears and he could <em>feel</em> her smile mirroring his own. His heart was hammering, pulling her closer until they were chest to chest and his arms could wrap all the way around her middle.</p>
<p>He didn’t remember closing his eyes, but he had to open them to look at her when the seamstress pulled back. They stared at each other, mouths barely open in silent surprise. “Woah,” The cat hero finally exhaled, green eyes blinking slowly. Marinette agreed, only able to nod to express it. Sure, she’d been imagining kissing Chat Noir since the pier fiasco, but nothing her mind could come up with compared to the real thing. And the way he was looking at her suggested he was having similar thoughts.</p>
<p>In the quiet of the television glow, Chat leaned back in, but not to reclaim her lips. Instead, he left several small, shy pecks starting at the corner of her mouth and trailing along her cheek. He nuzzled her temple, chest basically vibrating with the loud purring that suddenly filled their shared space. The bluenette blushed deeply, giggling and returning his affection by rubbing around his ears and pressing her cheek to his. “I really wish I could tell you how much you mean to me,” His words tickled her ear. She sighed, shaking her head minutely and pulling back to meet his gaze. She considered him for a moment, then tapped his chest with her index finger and said, “Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s what this noise is for.”</p>
<p>His eyes widened comically, as if he hadn’t considered that. He glanced down at himself, brow furrowed, then let out a delighted laugh and hugged her tighter. Marinette found it endearing that such a simple thing made him so happy. She tucked her head under his chin, hands splayed on his back and ear pressed to his chest like she was listening. She felt his lips on her hair, the purring only interrupted by short chirps or his giggling. Straightening up, Marinette cupped the black cat’s cheeks, kissing his nose and confessing, “<em>That</em> is a lot easier for me to deal with than words.” Chat Noir actually swooned, leaning into her touch and closing his eyes.</p>
<p>Marinette was very tempted to let this go on forever, but eventually they would have to move. She sighed, brushing her thumb over the seam of his mask and mumbling, “It’s really late..” His green eyes opened just to pout at her. She scoffed a chuckle, raising an eyebrow, “Don’t look at me like that, Kitty.”</p>
<p>“But I don’t want to go yet..” The cat hero batted his eyelashes at her, eyes pleading. She would’ve loved to let him stay, but they both knew it was too risky. She tsk’d, sitting back a little and smiling apologetically, “I know. If we could, I’d want us to stay here all night. But you know we can’t, and I still have school.” Chat groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes and pushing himself to his feet, “I hate that you’re right.” They walked to the front door with some mental effort, their hands brushing. Even when the door was open and the night stared in at them, they stayed beside each other for just a few seconds longer. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” The black cat asked hopefully, one foot over the threshold. Marinette nodded adamantly, nudging him the rest of the way, “Definitely. Now go home, you silly kitty.”</p>
<p>Chat Noir glanced over his shoulder, then leaned down to plant an adoring kiss on her mouth. She squeaked in surprise, barely able to return it before he was pulling away. They both grinned, and then he was off. Marinette leaned against the doorframe for support, her breath leaving her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The thing about first kisses is, after that line is crossed, the idea of being able to kiss that person <em>whenever you want</em> becomes very distracting. Marinette’s mind was preoccupied, and it showed. That morning, she’d made sure the cat brooch was securely pinned above her right pigtail, fingers tingling as she adjusted it. She was tired from being up so late the night before, but that didn’t stop her from practically skipping out of the house and down the street. Alya and Nino were waiting for her by the front steps of the school, anxiously watching her approach. Their concerned faces did pause her good mood, because for the life of her, she couldn’t think of why they were looking at her like that.</p>
<p>Alya pulled her into a tight hug. The bluenette raised a quizzical eyebrow at Nino, who hugged them both together. “Are you guys okay?” She asked them, brow furrowed. Alya scoffed incredulously, “Us? You’re the one who was stuck in the middle of an akuma attack last night!”</p>
<p>“O-Oh, right!” Marinette blushed deeply, scolding herself for forgetting that little detail, “don’t worry, I’m totally fine.” Nino and Alya stared at her, mouths hanging open in disbelief. Her redheaded bestie put her hands on her hips, expression annoyed now, “What do you mean, ‘oh, right’? We were worried sick about you and you just.. what, forgot that it happened?” The seamstress rubbed her neck, staring at the ground with wide eyes. Truthfully, the incident hadn’t affected her as much as everyone assumed because… she actually hadn’t been in the subway tunnel at the time of its collapse. But she was the only one who knew that, and Ladybug hadn’t participated much in the akuma fight, so her strongest memory at the moment was Chat Noir’s lips and Chat Noir’s purring, and Chat Noir’s smell-</p>
<p>“Hello!” Alya snapped her fingers in front of Marinette’s face, “earth to Mari! What in the world has got you so distracted?” Before she could answer, Adrien’s car pulled up to the curb. He stumbled out of it in a hurry to join them, “Marinette! Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“She’s okay,” Nino answered him, his tone also slightly annoyed but not as much as Alya, “she apparently forgot the attack even happened.” Adrien blanched at that, giving the bluenette a wildly confused frown, “How do you forget something like that so quickly?”</p>
<p>Marinette didn’t have an answer for them. What was she supposed to say, that kissing Chat Noir was easily more memorable than something that didn’t even happen? She glanced around at all of them, mouth working but no words forming. Eventually, she huffed, “I-I don’t know how to explain it, okay? I’m sorry for worrying you guys, I just.. I was a little preoccupied after the fight and I guess I was more focused on that.” Alya pulled her phone out of her pocket and navigated to a post, holding it up in front of her friend and assessing, “Preoccupied with this?”</p>
<p>It was inevitable that videos and pictures would be posted of Marinette and Chat Noir in the subway. Even just seeing him on the small phone screen caused the seamstress to blush and put a self-conscious hand to her cheek, her lips tingling. She cleared her throat, avoiding their gazes, “Yeah…” Adrien was silent, expression blank as he regarded her blush. Nino and Alya shared a glance, then Alya asked, “How is he, then?” Now that, Marinette could answer. “He’s okay,” She assured them with a smile, “he was really tired and needed to rest, that’s all.”</p>
<p>Her three friends stared at her. Nino seemed to accept that the moment was passing and they could move on to a different topic, but Aly and Adrien were still looking at her like they suspected something else was going on. “If Chat Noir didn’t need any kind of medical attention,” Alya tapped her chin, walking slowly around Marinette as if she were interrogating her, “then what made you forget about a whole ass akuma attack overnight?” Alya didn’t swear often, so it threw Marinette off. She balked, sputtering, “W-Well, I mean, you know, a first kiss will do that to you..”</p>
<p>The bluenette slapped both hands over her own mouth, eyes bugging at nothing. While Alya and Nino reeled with this new information, Adrien let out a choked gasp and then burst out laughing so hard he had tears at the corners of his eyes. Marinette hid her face in her hands, groaning. What a very unsmooth and embarrassing way to tell her friends. “No way,” Alya recovered from her shock and put her hands on the bluenette’s shoulders, grinning, “no way! How was it? I mean, it had to be good if it erased everything else that happened last night.”</p>
<p>Nino was shaking his head in amusement as Adrien composed himself from his hysterical outburst. He had to laugh, or he might’ve fainted; the thought of Marinette completely forgetting about a walking skyscraper destroying a whole neighborhood because they’d kissed was… exhilarating. It made a thousand different emotions flutter in his belly, and if he hadn’t laughed, he had no idea how else they would’ve escaped. It certainly wasn’t the worse option.</p>
<p>Marinette slipped passed the redhead to walk towards the school, cheeks on fire, “Um, it-it was, uh.. well..” She made some vague gesture with her hands, a Marinette staple that meant she couldn’t voice what she was thinking at that moment. “Was there tongue?” Alya teased, elbowing the seamstress. The bluenette hid her face in her hands again and shook her head in denial. <em>That</em> thought made her feel like she might have to sit down if she indulged it too much. As they entered their classroom, the other students looked up from their desks. There were collective questions about Marinette’s well-being, which she answered definitively with, “I’m alright, I promise. I’m sorry to have worried you all.”</p>
<p>Chloe was still mostly ignoring her, as she had been since the encounter in the street. Taking their seats, the group settled for the day. Embarrassment subsiding, Marinette was back to daydreaming again. She stared out the tall windows, eyes glazed and a dopey smile on her face. Alya leaned her chin on her hand, elbow on the desk as she mockingly matched her friend’s dreamy expression. She nudged Nino’s arm, drawing both his and Adrien’s attention. The boys snickered at her dramatic mimicking. The bluenette was either ignoring them or just that distracted by her imagination. Alya let out a fake swoon, batting her eyelashes rapidly and hunching her shoulders as she did her best impression of Marinette’s voice, “Oh, Chat Noir.. what lovely whiskers you have. Kiss me again, hero..”</p>
<p>Nino was still snickering while Adrien shook his head. Marinette let out a snort, raising an eyebrow as she halfheartedly glared out of the corner of her eye, “I can hear you.”</p>
<p>“Can you?” Alya wiggled her eyebrows and her seamstress friend laughed.</p>
<p>Towards the middle of the day, after they’d come back from lunch, their class was working on an individual assignment. Ms. Bustier didn’t mind if they spoke quietly with their seat neighbors, as long as they were working and not disrupting anyone else. Alya was telling Adrien and Nino about a new Ladyblog theory that had cropped up over the weekend, one that neither of them seemed to buy into no matter how much she insisted it made sense. Marinette was mostly finished with her paper and had returned to fantasizing about the prior night, gazing longingly out the windows with unfocused eyes.</p>
<p>Adrien left to use the restroom and Alya turned her attention back to Marinette. “Girl, you need to get a hold of yourself,” She chuckled, nudging the bluenette’s side. Marinette shrugged, grinning, “Why?” Alya was without an answer, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as Nino admitted, “She’s got a point. There’s really no harm being done.” The seamstress stuck her tongue out smugly, giggling as Alya sighed in amusement. After a few minutes of silence, Aly sat straight up in her seat and blinked at something over Marinette’s shoulder. “Oh my god, is that.. Chat Noir?” She asked no one in particular.</p>
<p>“Har har,” The bluenette ignored her, her pencil scrawling over the assignment in front of her, “I’m not falling for that again.” Shuffling behind them sounded, then Rose’s voice piped up, “No, she’s serious!” The whole class collectively stood, moving to the windows curiously. Ms. Bustier looked up from her desk with raised eyebrows. Marinette hadn’t followed them, suspicious that this was some sort of mass prank. Surely Chat had school he should be at this time of day. But their gasps of excitement got the best of her. She rolled her eyes and got out of her seat, wiggling in beside Juleka and Mylene.</p>
<p>Across the street, balanced on a shop awning with a lollipop in his mouth, Chat Noir was waving to people as they passed below him. Juleka leaned over to Marinette and asked, “What is he doing?”</p>
<p>“What- how should I know?” The seamstress blinked rapidly, pressing her hands to the glass. Hadn’t she just been wishing she could see him, if only for a second? This seemed too good to be true. As if sensing her eyes, Chat Noir raised his head and made near direct eye contact with Marinette herself. She sucked in a breath, failing to keep her grin from mirroring his. “Oh boy,” Alya mumbled under her breath as the black cat hopped a few lamp posts until he was close enough to vault onto their school roof.</p>
<p>Marinette scrambled away from the window, rushing out the classroom door with the rest of the students hot on her heels. “Wait, class-!” Ms. Bustier got to her feet, following them. Marinette looked around expectantly, delighted when her kitty poked his head down from the open roof in front of their door. “Chat!” She climbed to stand on the railing, holding the ceiling trim for support, “what are you doing out here in the middle of the day?”</p>
<p>“Would you believe I was passing through the neighborhood?” The feline hero tilted his head mischievously, winking. “Not even a little bit,” The bluenette shook her head, giggling. She barely registered the teacher’s voice begging her to be careful about standing on the railing like she was. Chat Noir rolled the lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other, green eyes sparkling, “Okay, maybe I just wanted to see you.” She dipped her head shyly for a moment, then reached one hand out to ruffle his hair. “I miss you, too,” She confessed between them, but not quietly enough for the closest students not to hear. His eyes fluttered closed with a soft chirrup, lips slack.</p>
<p>“Marinette,” Ms. Bustier gently reminded her of their audience. Marinette sighed, tapping Chat Noir on the nose and asking, “What flavor is that lollipop?” He blinked at her, amused, “Uh, watermelon.. why?” Without answering, the bluenette leaned forward, taking the candy out of his mouth and laying a plump kiss on his surprised lips. A couple of the girls squealed while Alya threw her hands up in acquiescence that this might as well be happening. Marinette slipped down from the railing, sticking the lollipop in her mouth and giving the black cat a wink, “Thanks.”</p>
<p>He seemed to have malfunctioned for a second, then laughed and saluted her teasingly, “No problem. I’ll see you tonight, Princess.”</p>
<p>“I look forward to it, Kitty,” The seamstress giggled, hands behind her back and a fierce blush on her cheeks. He disappeared with a goodbye wave to the rest of the onlookers. They slowly filed back into the classroom, Marinette sinking into her seat with a <em>deep</em> sigh. “You two are truly absurd,” Alya commented. Chloe had stayed at her desk throughout the whole fiasco. She was furiously typing on her phone with Sabrina hunched meekly next to her. “I can’t believe Adrien missed that,” Nino laughed, “he always misses the good stuff.”</p>
<p>There was a good amount of chatter going on that Ms. Bustier had to hush several times. She was eyeing Marinette like she wanted to say something, but what could she say? It’s not like that was planned, and not like anything the bluenette could say would deter Chat Noir’s Cheshire-style antics. He was his own cat, after all; and she wouldn’t want it any other way. Marinette leaned back in her seat, hands behind her head and a wide grin on her face, the lollipop stick being gnawed between her teeth.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“What’s another word for..” Marinette leaned back in her desk chair, waving a hand in the air, “like, if something prospers in an environment?” She still had about two hundred words left to go on this essay and she promised her parents she’d have it done before she and Chat Noir did anything else. It had taken her an hour just to get this far because, for the first thirty minutes of his visit, they couldn’t focus on anything but each other. Eventually, Marinette had given her kitty a Rubik’s cube to fiddle with so she could work on her stupid paper. He was lounged on her chaise with his ankles crossed and tail curling in little upside-down S shapes. There was music playing from her studying playlist; symphonies or classical versions of other genre songs.</p>
<p>For the most part, the last twenty minutes had been filled with nothing but the music and Marinette’s typing, but she was stumped on how to word her current sentence. She’d already used prosper, she couldn’t use it again in the same paragraph. Chat Noir glanced up from the puzzle cube, four sides solved, and offered, “Thrive?” The bluenette wrinkled her nose and shook her head, “Snobbier.”</p>
<p>“Burgeon,” His claws tapped the plastic toy, a wide smile on his face. “That’s too snobby,” She chuckled. Not that Marinette ever thought Chat Noir wasn’t smart in general, but she hadn’t expected to discover he might actually be smarter than her, at least as far as academics were concerned. He certainly had a bigger vocabulary than he let on; sometimes he’d accidentally use a bigger word than was necessary and sheepishly correct himself before she could question him. And when she’d explained what the assignment was, he offered her several sources off the top of his head where she could find valid information on the topic. Little did she know that was because he’d had the same assignment and finished it earlier in the week.</p>
<p>It had been about a week since their strange display at Marinette’s school. Since then, the bluenette had been in an excellent mood, kindled by the black cat’s almost nightly visits. Now that her parents knew of their relationship, sometimes they joined them for movie nights in the living room. Once, she and Chat had been caught sneaking cookie dough from the bakery, but Tom and Sabine seemed more amused than anything else. Sabine even made some comment about Chat Noir bringing out Marinette’s mischievous side, which the seamstress vehemently denied in public, but privately knew it was a little true.</p>
<p>What could she say? Mischief was fun if you had a partner for it.</p>
<p>Chat Noir rested his cheek on the back of the chaise lounge, his body twisted to face Marinette while still being stretched out comfortably. His tail thumped the cushions, ears twitching. “Flourish,” He suggested, tossing the Rubik’s cube between his hands. The bluenette snapped her fingers, blew him a kiss as thanks, then turned back to her laptop and began keying away once more. He gazed adoringly at the side of her head a moment, then forced his attention back to the puzzle.</p>
<p>After another grueling half hour of writing, Marinette shut her laptop triumphantly and let out a dramatic sigh. “Done,” She announced, getting up from her desk to stretch. Chat pulled his legs in as she sat on the chaise. He was concentrated on the Rubik’s cube, down to one side now, but he still accommodated her as she stretched out beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. He even purred quietly, which had become much more dear to both of them after Marinette pointed out it was basically the cat hero pouring his heart out to her in the form of a single noise.</p>
<p>The sun hadn’t fully set yet. Marinette’s window bathed them in red-gold light, especially since the only other source was that of her desk lamp, currently. She liked natural light best, a preference she was delighted to learn Chat Noir shared. The clicking of the swiveling Rubik’s cube and the soft music floating around them – of course mixed with her kitty’s purring – was starting to sound like a pretty good lullaby.</p>
<p>Then her phone rang on the corner of her desk.</p>
<p>Marinette startled at the ringtone, blinking as the black cat stifled a laugh and leaned over to grab it for her. Alya’s contact filled the LED screen. The bluenette hit answer and set it to speaker phone so she didn’t have to disrupt Chat’s puzzle fiddling with any awkward arm placement. “Hey, Alya,” Marinette greeted with enthusiasm, her good mood always apparent these days. “Hey guys!” The redhead sounded exceptionally giddy, her greeting including the both of them even though she technically didn’t ask if the cat hero was even there, “you better turn on the news! They’re inviting Ladybug and Chat Noir to an interview!”</p>
<p>The bluenette blinked and slid the phone call to the top of her screen so she could navigate to the latest news stream. Sure enough, Nadja Chamack was sitting on a long couch with a folder on her lap, legs crossed and a relaxed, welcoming smile on her face. “-on behalf of TVi News, it is my pleasure to invite our beloved superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, to an exclusive catch-up interview this Friday night. I’m certain all Parisians are curious what our fearless protectors are up to with the lull in Akuma attacks lately.”</p>
<p>“She better knock on wood,” Chat shook his head and tsk’d under his breath, his eyes still on the Rubik’s cube but one ear trained in the phone’s direction. Marinette sighed in agreement, “Right? Way to jinx us all.”</p>
<p>“You think you’re gonna go?” Alya asked over the news audio, the grin evident in her voice. With a shrug, the black cat said, “I will. Can’t speak for Ladybug, but she’s usually pretty formal about this stuff. She likes her privacy a lot more than I do, but she’s not a recluse.” Marinette had to bite her tongue to keep from snorting because that was pretty spot on; he knew her well. “You know they’re gonna ask you about me, right?” The seamstress batted her eyelashes, nudging her kitty’s shoulder. He smiled at her with a quirked eyebrow, “And?”</p>
<p>“And they’ll probably show all those pictures and videos everyone got of us in the subway last week.”</p>
<p>Chat nodded, fully aware, “Uh-huh. Anything specific you don’t want me sharing?” Anyone else, Marinette would’ve had a list. But with Chat, she knew she had nothing to worry about. He knew what she would be okay answering or not and she trusted him to use his own discretion. With a shake of her head, Marinette kissed his cheek, “You know me well enough by now.” Alya fake gagged on the other end of the line, “I swear, you guys have far surpassed Nino and I for most obnoxious couple.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” The black cat tittered while the bluenette rolled her eyes. There was a quiet moment where green eyes met blue and the world turned that dull, muffled grey Marinette was getting so used to; so far, everything paled in comparison when Chat Noir looked at her the way he was now. The tension must have been audible because Alya said, “for the love of God, just make out,” and hung up without waiting for an answer.</p>
<p>Marinette blushed and glanced away, chuckling nervously, “I mean.. that’s not a bad idea..” Her kitty didn’t grace her with an answer, only tossed the Rubik’s cube over his shoulder and descended upon her with affectionate intent, his purring amplified.</p>
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